Alice is Mine
by Vesper Rose
Summary: The Queen orders the White Rabbit to lure Zero into Wonderland, but Zero found his way out. There's just one thing the Wonderlanders failed to mention to him. Things are never good when the Queen has to leave Wonderland.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Vampire Knight. D:

**Things you should know**

* This is based on the drawing Hino-sensei drew of Kaname and Zero cross dressing as the Queen of Hearts and Alice. I (somewhat) changed Kaname's outfit, though, because I'm not good at describing details and I didn't give him the wig, just to make my life easier.  
* The characters are vampires in Wonderland, too.  
* Yuuki is around 5-7 years old. In my mind, though, she's 6. :)  
* Don't worry about the other figures. I'm sure you know who they are...or some of them. They'll make a real appearance later. :)  
* This is a KanamexZero story. :D  
* For now, it's rated T. I don't know where this story is going, because I only have the prologue written out. So, it's just to be on the safe side.  
* Again, I'm not great at details, so forgive me if this is poorly written. I also wrote it when I was tired. D:

Enjoy! :D

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**Prologue**

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The sky was cloudless; the only light illuminated from the moon. There was not a sound throughout the kingdom. The only sound came from the wind that rustled the tree's leaves. But the night was far from restless.

The moon's rays burst through the windows of the dark throne room and fell upon the Queen of Wonderland. The light bounced off of his unruly dark brown tresses, almost making it seem as if his hair were glowing. His flawless fair skin was only partially touched by the light. The light danced on the glitter that belonged to his scarlet Elizabethan dress. His slender fingers tapped the arm of his gold chair, the other gripping onto the other arm tightly. If it had not been for the light crimson hue in his usually wine colored eyes, the seven figures bowed before him would have praised him in all his beauty. At least two of them would have. The Queen's eyes remained on his faithful servants before him. He inhaled slowly through his nose and released it just as slowly. His face remained in its usual emotionless expression. Wonderland was never safe when the Queen was upset.

"Hatter."

The blond shuddered at the powerful, overwhelming, yet velvet soft voice that had called him. The Queen never used their titles unless he was angry with them. His cerulean blue eyes shifted away from its gaze on the scarlet carpet and onto his queen. He nodded, slightly, swallowing the lump in his throat, "Yes, Kaname-sama."

Kaname grinned slightly at the fear that radiated off of the Hatter, but it quickly faded, "You disappoint me, Aidou. Tell me. How was it that he got away again?"

Aidou fidgeted with his tie; his eyes wandering back to its place on the carpet beneath him. Kaname sighed, slightly growling. He was in no mood to play games now. The thin line of his patience had been snipped when Aidou returned empty handed. He had been waiting for four years to bring his soul to Wonderland and right when the blond idiot had him, he slipped away. Aidou trembled softly at the cold, tense atmosphere. A small smile snuck onto his face before he turned his attention back to Kaname. "W-well, you see, he was following me, but he became distracted when the girl called for him."

The thumps of Kaname's fingers had ceased. His hand was just under his chin, supporting his head. "Hm. And what made you try to bring him here in the daylight, when you knew people were around?"

"H-he was alone and i-it seemed like the perfect – " Aidou had not seen Kaname move. Nor any of the other servants, who had refused to move out of fear. Kaname's hands trapped the blonde's face in them. His eyes were now fully red and his teeth were bared. Slowly, his fangs extended. The cracking of the windows echoed off of the walls. Aidou eyes widened, his body overtaken by panic. He tried to swallow the lump in his throat, but failed.

"You disappoint me, Aidou." He repeated; his velvet soft voice was now cold and monotone. Kaname released his face, sending relief through Aidou. But it was short lived. Kaname's hand met Aidou's cheek coarsely. Kaname returned to his seat. "I do not wish to see your face any longer."

Aidou pouted slightly, rubbing his cheek, bowing, "Yes, Kaname-sama." His presence vanished from the room as he slipped out the door.

Kaname rested his head upon his hand once more, the fingers of his free hand tapping the other arm of his throne. The crimson hue had dulled, but there was an enough amount to keep the others from speaking when he was deep in thought. His eyes moved up and down the line of the remaining six figures standing before him. His eyes lingered on the smallest of them all. Her rabbit ears drooped in happiness as she munched on a cookie. Crumbs stuck to her face and a few had managed to become tangled in her long brown hair. It was as if she hadn't seen his actions towards Aidou. He smiled and waved his hand, dismissing the servants.

The small girl's eyes opened, revealing wide wine colored eyes. She watched the retreating figures in confusion before catching on – Kaname had dismissed them. She stumbled when she spun around, trying to catch up to them.

Just as she reached the door, Kaname called out to her, "Yuuki, come here."

She looked over her shoulder, confusion once again plastered on her face. But it was overpowered by her smile and she turned, skipping over to him. He chuckled softly and pulled her into his lap, nuzzling his face in her soft silky hair. "You're full of crumbs, Yuuki." He wiped the crumbs away from her face and out of her hair. The small girl giggled, blushing softly from embarrassment, "Sorry, Onii-sama."

Kaname kissed her forehead and hugged her tightly, "Yuuki, would you like to help me?"

Never before had he used his sister for missions like this, but he was desperate. He needed his soul here in Wonderland, and everyone else was not doing the job correctly. He knew that if Yuuki was injured while on the mission, it would be his fault. She was much too young; her adult fangs had only just started to grow. He petted her head, gently, doubting his decision in asking her to go for him. But he knew she'd be irresistible and would have to be followed. He knew his soul better than he knew himself.

"Ne, will Onii-chan be happy if he had him here?" Yuuki looked up at Kaname, her eyes filled with curiosity.

Kaname smiled and kissed her cheeks, "Onii-chan will be very happy."

Yuuki smiled and leaped out of his lap. She curtsied and saluted him, "Then I will bring Onii-chan his soul." She skipped over to him and kissed his cheek, "I'll be back."

Before Kaname had a chance to protest, the small girl had already left the room. He sighed. He wanted her to rest before sending her out, but it was too late. Another smile crept its way onto his face. Yuuki always wanted to make him happy. That's what truly made her smile. And it was like that for him, too. As long as she was happy, he was happy – almost completely happy. Without his soul, a part of him was missing and he wouldn't have that. Kaname stood and walked over to the window. He leaned against the wall and watched as Yuuki skipped down the cobblestone path. His gaze followed her body, until she vanished in the woods. "Bring him to me, Yuuki. Bring me Kiryu Zero."


	2. One

Waah~! Nearly twenty reviews for just the prologue. -sniffles- I love you guys. Finally, I update right? xD It's a slow start, but I can't very well rush into things now can I? :D Enjoy! (Keep in mind, I've never written this much in my life. It's hard...but so worth it! :D)

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_**Cross Academy**_

Yuuki Cross knew that she was rather naïve and that she was not the smartest person that existed. She knew about the existence of vampires and the ones that hunted them. Though, she did not know a lot about either party, she knew enough. Yuuki also knew that in order for her to understand the male she had grown up, she did not need to know either of these things. She may not know a lot about Zero, because he keeps to himself, but she knew that there was something wrong with him, even if he tried to hide it.

Yuuki was snapped out of her reverie, her gaze shifting to the large crowd of fan girls in front of her. Although Zero was there, he did not pay much attention. In fact, he was trapped in a daze, nearly dozing off. Purple shadows were etched into the skin underneath his amethyst – though, with his lack of sleep, they had taken up a darker shade of purple – hues. He inhaled deeply, only to release it seconds later. His eyes slowly fluttered shut, before he was jolted awake by the sound of Yuuki's pleas with the wild crowd. He growled, "If you are not at your dorms within five seconds, don't expect to see another day of light!"

Silence blanketed the screaming girls as their horror filled eyes moved away from the doors and onto the silver headed male's face. He was scowling, as he usually did, but it was different this time – filled with absolute enmity. If it had not been because he looked one hundred percent serious, the girls would not have bolted off, but that was not the case.

Though the corners of Yuuki's lips were lifted in a smile, relief washing over her that the pushing and rather demanding fan girls were gone, they twitched, her eyebrow arched in slight confusion and annoyance, "Zero, you didn't have to threaten them."

The girl expected for a snappy comeback, but it never came. Her sangria colored orbs drifted towards her partner to find his head tipping to the side, his eyes shut. Her eyebrows furrowed, her face contorting with concern, "Zero?"

His eyes opened, slightly, leaving them half-lidded, "Hm?"

"Are you…okay?" She moved towards him. His eyes closed once again and he nodded. Yuuki knew that he was lying. She clutched his tie, scowling and shook him gently. "Zero, don't lie to me," she reprimanded.

No response.

His breathing softened, his body slowly becoming limp. He hunched over Yuuki, his face buried in her hair. She sighed and pushed him away, still gripping his tie. He fell to his knees, his head tilted to the side. She shook him again, "Zero."

No response.

"Zero," she shook him again, "Come on, wake up. If you want to sleep you can skip patrol and go back to your dorm." The hunter still did not move. Yuuki's eye twitched and she began twisting his head, left and right, "Zero, wake up."

Yuuki shook her head, her lower lip pulled into her mouth just under her teeth. Zero was not sleeping, she knew that. The dark purple hue under his eyes told anyone that. She wanted to know why, of course she did not expect an answer, but she would not give up. Right now, Zero falling asleep was not helping her. He was always a heavy sleeper and she had yet to find something that would wake him. She sighed, resolving to the one thing she would never do. Not just to him, but to anyone. Violence and Yuuki were never placed in the same category.

"Forgive me, Zero," She whispered, lifting her hand. She shut her eyes tightly, her hand meeting the male's cheek. She yelped and released her grip on him as a sting shot through her arm. Her eyes flew open, sliding to her red, throbbing hand. She blew on it, tears piled up at her eyes.

A growl emitted from Zero's lips. Anger rolled off of him. Yuuki stepped back, deciding it would better for her to be away from him when he exploded. His rage filled glare tore away from the cement to the girl's face. It bothered him further to see that she had the nerve to look as if she had done nothing. Another growl escaped his lips, "What the hell was that for?"

Yuuki's innocent charade was replaced with annoyance, "You wouldn't wake up!"

Zero's anger evaporated, becoming confusion, "I fell asleep?"

Yuuki nodded and he sighed. He pushed himself off of the ground, ignoring how incredibly heavy his body felt. "Sorry," he murmured.

Before Yuuki had a chance to reply, the sound of someone clearing their throat echoed off of the trees. The prefects turned their heads to find the Night Class watching them, amusement glued onto their faces. In their quarrel, the two had not heard the doors of the gate, separating the Night Class (a class filled with vampires) from the Day Class (the humans), open. Yuuki flushed, embarrassed that her actions had been seen by her savior in a sense, Kaname. Her head tilted slightly to the side, "Kaname-senpai…?"

Zero rolled his eyes and folded his arms across his chest.

A small smile graced Kaname's face, vanishing one second later, "Are you all right, Yuuki?"

If it was possible, Yuuki's crimson face turned a shade darker, "Y-yes!"

Kaname's wine colored eyes lifted to the hunter. He did not care much for the other male, but he knew how important he was to Yuuki, so he tolerated him. It was not very easy, especially when he worried her. Kaname wanted nothing more than to tear the hunter apart, but he needed him for his own purposes. Despite that, he couldn't help but feel a small part of him grow concern when he saw Zero's condition. The boy was completely dead on his feet. How he even managed to stand and form coherent sentences was beyond Kaname's knowledge. He desperately tried to ignore the emotion, but found that he could not. "Kiryu-kun, are you well?"

Zero ignored the question, partially because he did not want to answer and partially because he did not understand it. Sleep deprivation was messing with him, he knew that. It was only confirmed, because the bane of his existence was asking him if he was all right. Zero was perfectly content with Kaname ignoring him, content with dreaming of sleeping and nearly doing do once again, uncaring if it was on the ground rather than his room. He could feel eyes burning holes into his skin, but he refused to face the pureblood. Slowly, his skin began to tingle, fully aware of the perturbed aura Kaname sent towards him.

"It's none of your business, Kuran-senpai. Get to the class," He snarled lightly. Aidou nearly lurched at the hunter, but was pulled back by his cousin, Akatsuki. Yuuki twitched, already scolding Zero's manners, "Zero…"

"You don't look healthy, Kiryu-kun," Kaname began to head for the school, motioning for the rest to follow. He stopped, allowing the rest of the class to surpass him. His head turned forty five degrees to look at the prefect once more, "You should take better care of yourself."

"Get to class," Zero repeated.

Yuuki watched as Kaname and the rest of the Night Class slowly disappeared, nearing the school. She noticed that Aidou had looked over his shoulder more than once, to glare at Zero, who had slowly started to nod off once more. Yuuki sighed, "Zero, go to your room and sleep. I can handle patrol on my own."

Zero shook his head, "I'm fine. You were going to have to do patrol on your own tonight anyway." He slowly made his way towards the school gates that led outside. "I have a mission to get to."

"Mission? Zero, you're not going on a mission in your state." Yuuki warned, suddenly fretting the way only a mother would. She ran, stopping ahead of him, outstretching her arms blocking his path. "You can go tomorrow."

"And let more people die? I don't think so." He took a step to the side, suppressing a yawn and continued on, ignoring Yuuki's demands that he stay. True, he could have tracked the level E down in the morning after he got some sleep – _if_ he got some sleep – but he doubted that he would. It would be better to stop the murderer now than later, when he was sure he would fully be a zombie. That and the Association ordered for him to go at night.

As Zero slowly entered the deserted town, he reached into his uniform blazer extracting his gun, Bloody Rose. His mind slowly began to ponder why the Association would send _him_ on a night mission alone; they had special hunters for this kind of mission. It made Zero wary of them.

Zero pushed all thoughts from his mind, heightening his five senses. His eyes darted from place to place, searching for the vile creature. Unable to hold it in any longer, the hunter yawned.

"You look tired. Maybe I can help you fall asleep."

Zero whipped around, gun raised, to find the owner of the eerie voice gone. He stood there for a while, spinning around in slow circles; his eyes glazing over every inch of the alley looking path he had taken. A dark chuckle echoed off of the stores' and homes' brick walls.

Zero hissed as claws scraped his back, tearing his clothes and breaking skin. There was no way he would get Yuuki off of his back now. The E screeched, falling even deeper at the whiff of Zero's blood. He lurched for Zero, who kicked him, sending the E flying into a window. Zero cocked his gun, aiming at the vampire. He slowly walked over to the shattered window and the seemingly lifeless body.

The E suddenly shot up, too fast for Zero to react. He tackled the hunter, gripping onto his arms coarsely, his claws sinking into the flesh. He twisted the arm holding the gun upward, causing Zero to shoot towards the sky. A string of curses Zero was sure he had never heard before in his life tumbled from his mouth. Another chuckle escaped the twisted mouth of the E, "Hunter…ally…Smells good."

Zero growled and kneed him, but the E tightened his grip on him, his claws reaching his bones. The E dipped his head down towards Zero's neck. He sniffed and sighed, content, "So…good."

He sunk his fangs into Zero's neck. The hunter's struggles stopped. Fury coursed through him. His amethyst eyes flickered red before settling on a deep crimson. He kicked the E off of him, bolted off of the ground and roared when he found the E standing. The E launched himself at Zero only to be slapped away and shot in the chest multiple times. His contorted form burst into dust, his blood drenched clothes falling to the ground.

Zero retreated to the Academy slowly, allowing Yuuki time to get to sleep before he arrived. The sun was already rising; she had to be asleep by now.

Thirst had crawled its way into his throat. The tattoo on his neck glowed, his breath short pants. His fangs had extended and throbbed violently. He ignored it, simply wishing to get to sleep – though he knew with his injuries was a bad idea.

The hunter groaned when he reached the steps that led to the Academy. He groggily lifted his legs, grunting at how heavy they felt. His head was beginning to spin, shaking the ground much to his dismay. He had enough trouble walking as it was at the moment, he did not need for dizziness to overpower him. Reaching the top of the stairs, he sighed in relief and hissed at the throbbing that had birthed in his head. He dragged his feet towards the Chairman's house, desperately hoping Yuuki was not there. He would be able to handle the Chairman's slight nagging and sudden serious warnings, but he would not be able to handle Yuuki's. She would hold it over his head for who knows how long.

The young male threw the door open and slammed it, kicking off his shoes in the process. Slowly, the world was beginning to fade. He inhaled deeply, hearing footsteps from upstairs. He prayed that it was the Chairman.

"Kiryu-kun?"

Zero released his breath in relief, not bothering to answer and continued to head for his destination – the living room couch. Before he threw himself onto the heavenly looking furniture, he caught sight of his immensely bloody uniform. He knew the Chairman would not appreciate blood on his couch, but at the moment Zero could care less. He wanted the headache to go away, the thirst to die down, and the pain that his body surged through him every time he made even one small movement to evaporate into the darkness it had come from. He wanted sleep and he wanted it _now_.

The boy tossed himself onto the couch, face down. It was the side that hurt him less. He shut his eyes, hearing the Chairman's footsteps venture down the stairs and into the same room. He felt the panic that rolled off of the older male.

Cross dashed to the young hunter and shook him gently, "Kiryu-kun! Are you all right?"

Zero did not respond. He had let the comforting darkness consume him.

Though, Cross knew that he was too late, he shook him slightly harder, "Zero, please, you cannot fall asleep in this state. You have a chance of losing your life."

The former hunter reached for Zero's wrist. The boy still had a pulse, he was just sleeping. He gently ran his fingers along the gashes in the young male's back. Kaien sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, pushing his glasses up in the process. It would be hard to keep his absence from Yuuki. He lifted Zero, tossing him over his shoulder and took him up to his old room. He removed the prefect's uniform, leaving him only in his boxers before laying him on his back once more. He did not exactly keep medical supplies in his home, normally Yuuki or Zero would go to the infirmary, but that was too public of a place to keep the hunter.

Kaien exited the room, shutting the door behind him, and headed for the school's infirmary to retrieve what the supplies needed. All the while, he was coming up with excuses for Zero's absence from school. If he told Yuuki Zero still had not returned from his mission, worry would eat the girl up until Zero "returned". If he told her that Zero had returned, she would want to see him. She would see the number of injuries on him and she would still be worried. Either way, he needed for Zero's wounds to heal quickly.

* * *

Zero found himself in the wooded area near the Moon Dorms. He did not understand how he ended up here. The last thing he remembered was falling asleep on the Chairman's couch and the Chairman fretting over him.

A rustling in the bushes ahead of him made Zero whip out his gun. He aimed for the bush.

Just as he was about to pull the trigger, two white rabbit ears poked out. A small baby face followed shortly. Zero's eyes widened as he lowered the gun. Two large sangria colored eyes stared up at him, a wide grin spread across the small girl's face. She wrinkled her nose as a pink tint colored her cheeks. She now understood why her brother was obsessed with this male. He was stunning.

Zero could not believe his eyes. Standing in front of him was Yuuki. Though, it could not be Yuuki because this girl was much younger. She was a younger version of her. The hunter stared at the small girl, completely entranced. He took a step towards her, "Yuuki?"

The White Rabbit giggled, wiggling her fingers at Zero. She spun around and quickly darted further into the woods. Zero blinked – partially confused. She had responded when he called her Yuuki, but it was impossible. She could not have turned into a child while he was out. _No one_ was able to return to their child form. He slipped Bloody Rose into his blazed and took off after the smaller version of the girl he grew up with.

He followed her, stopping when he saw her standing in the middle of the bridge that led to the Sun Dorms. He watched as she climbed one of the bridge's walls and sit on the ledge, her legs dangling just above the water below. He moved closer, "Hey, wait. What are you doing?"

The White Rabbit's gaze set upon him; the smile that never left her face stretched further. She slid off the ledge. "No!" Zero lurched forward, just in time to catch the small girl by her hand.

He scowled at her, "What the hell are you doing? Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

The White Rabbit merely stared at him, her small face contorted with confusion. She did not understand why he was trying to stop her; she was only trying to bring him to her brother to make him happy.

Zero tried to pull her up, surprised at how heavy she was. An eyebrow rose when he saw her free small hand try to pry his grip from her captured one. "Why are you –"

His question was cut off when he felt unnaturally pointy teeth slide into his hand and quickly removed. He hissed, releasing his grip on the small girl, dropping her into the water. He gasped as he studied his hand. There were two perfect punctures just above his wrist. Realization slapped him across the face – the girl was a vampire. Confusion overtook Zero once more. How could the small girl who looked so much like Yuuki – because he still did not have enough proof to say she _was_ Yuuki, despite the clear evidence – be a vampire?

Zero shook his head, pushing all thoughts away. He leaned over the wall, searching for the small girl. She was nowhere to be found. This puzzled Zero further. The water held no current, so she could not have drifted away, but where else would she go? Zero swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. Was it possible that she drowned because he dropped her? His eyes flickered to the punctures on his hand. He gritted his teeth, flinging himself over the stone wall, allowing the water below to swallow him…

Zero struggled to resurface. His lungs burned, begging for air. He kicked, his arms flailing. He tried to remember what his master had taught him about swimming, but the memories refused to bring themselves out. Zero kicked harder, blinking rapidly as he tried to stop the black dots from blocking his vision. His heart pounded against his chest, almost as if it were trying to escape the "confined" watery space.

Zero, rather abruptly, rose to the surface. He inhaled sharply, overcome by a fit of coughs and gags. Water spewed from his mouth. He clutched his burning throat. The water was salty.

The water was salty…Zero looked up. He was not in the clean lake that resided on the Academy's land, he was in a pool. A large pool filled to the brim with water, nearly overflowing. He swam towards the shore, stopping when he saw the White Rabbit standing at the edge. Her head was cocked slightly to the side and she looked worried. Zero immediately knew that the girl is Yuuki. No one else had a warm expression like that.

"I'm fine," he reassured her, pulling himself out of the water into a kneeling position.

Yuuki stepped back, the expression still plastered on her face, "Are you sure?"

Zero nodded, allowing shock to course through him. It was the first time he had heard her speak and she owned the same gentle voice that Yuuki did. Her voice confirmed his thoughts. She smiled at him, "Good. Onii-sama would be angry if you weren't."

Zero stood, an eyebrow rose, "Onii-sama?"

This Yuuki, he noticed, had a lot of differences from his Yuuki. The first being, that his Yuuki did not have rabbit ears. The second, his Yuuki was not a vampire. Nor would he ever allow her to become one. The third, his Yuuki did not have a brother (as far as he knew).

Yuuki nodded and without another word darted off into the woods.

Zero growled inwardly. Why did this girl keep running off? He wanted to ask her where he was, because he could certainly tell he was no longer at the Academy. In fact, he did not the surroundings of the Academy at all. He was someplace very unfamiliar and it bothered him. He did not know his way around this place. Even the time of day was different. He remembered it being morning when he returned from his mission. Here, the sun was just setting.

He glanced at the pool once more. What was a pool doing in the woods? It seemed like the pool was the end of the way because on the other side was a large gorge. After that, the land was barren.

Zero followed Yuuki, picking up her scent. Even that was the same. Zero suppressed a small shudder at the eerie canniness.

Slowly, Zero began to lose track of the small girl's scent. Other fragrances were mixing in, covering it up as Zero stopped at a crossroads. Zero's stomach grumbled as the smell of tomato soup mesmerized his nose. The hunter had not noticed that he was hungry. The last time he ate was…was…Crap!

Zero had not eaten since the morning. He remembered skipping lunch, heading to the stables to attempt to get some sleep. It was the one place Zero found complete peace. People were too afraid of White Lily to go near there, especially Yuuki. She thought the horse had it out for her.

Zero sighed, another smell drifting through the air. This time, it smelled like tea. A sweet tea, perhaps mango or peach with just a hint of raspberry. From the same direction, came another sweet smell. Growing up with a sweet tooth like Yuuki, Zero automatically knew that it was cake. It was a vanilla cake with assorted fillings from strawberries to bananas to custard.

A fourth smell hit Zero. It was not one of food, though. It was the strong smell of roses coming from the third path. The roses were not all Zero could smell; there were other flower scents mixed in as well. The second fragrance that stood out was that of lilacs. Zero was intrigued by it, but decided that it was not best to take that path. He was hungry and he doubted flowers would kill the rumbling in his stomach.

Zero sniffed again, inhaling the remaining three fragrances.

The male chose to go with the tomato soup. The tea and cake would work fine, but he felt that was spoiling dinner. On top of that, Zero was not one for sweets. Occasionally, he would eat a small piece of cake or candy, but only if he wanted it.

Zero's mouth nearly overflowed with an excess amount of saliva. He swallowed it and flicked his growling stomach, demanding that it stop. He knew better than to get his hopes up. Whoever was cooking the meal might not even allow him to join them. He flinched at the thought. He resolved that if he needed to, he would result to begging for a bowl. His pride would most likely be shattered in the process, but it was better than wandering around an unknown place starving.

Being lost in his reverie, the hunter did not notice a figure following him. The young boy felt something heavy collide with his head. His body seemed to register the force before his mind did, because he stopped and fell to the ground. He groaned in pain and tried to lift his arm to examine the back of his head. Feeling like a weight, he dropped his arm. Black dots clouded Zero's vision before he was consumed by darkness.

He was on something soft, comfortable compared to his previous environment – the hard, muddy wood floor. Familiar voices swam through Zero's ears. He groaned silently at the painful throbbing from the back of his head.

"Why would you just attack him like that?"

"I didn't know who he was until he hit the ground."

"You had better hope the Queen doesn't find out about this."

"I'll be sure not to tell the Queen."

Too fast; the voices were speaking too fast for Zero. Or maybe it was because his head hurt. Either way, the voices were not helping him. Zero twisted his head to side, slowing opening his eyes.

"Look! He's coming around."

"Thank goodness you didn't kill him."

It took a moment for Zero's eyes to adjust to the light. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion, "Headmaster? Ichijo-senpai?" Zero winced, the throbbing increasing.

Kaien shook his head, kneeling at the edge of the bed. He pressed his fingers to Zero's forehead, checking for fever. "Don't strain yourself. Go back to sleep, we'll explain when you wake up."

He stretched his hand towards Ichijo, motioning for the blond to give him the ice pack. He lifted Zero's head, gently and slipped it onto the pillow. "That should help."

Zero shivered at the newly acquired element. For once, he did as Cross told him and slipped into a peaceful slumber.


	3. Two

Chapter two at your service. :D Ah, this one was hard to write. o.o I tried to have it out before school started, but that didn't work out. The chapter was too long to write in just one day. x3 Anyway, in some ways I feel like this chapter isn't written well, so there is a possibility of a rewrite. If I do rewrite it, I'll be sure to tell you guys, so you can read the perfect version. You deserve it, 'cause you're the best! Less than three~! :D Review replies at the end.

Question: Since I'm having an issue on figuring out who the White Queen will be, I need your help. I feel like if I make it Rido, that will be too cliche. But if I make it an OC, I feel like it would be a Sue-ish type of character. So, what do you think?

You should know:  
* Three days in the real world is one day in Wonderland. (Yes, Zero will be there for a long time. xD)  
* Sayuri is not Sayori.  
* Some things may be confusing, since I'm not all that good at explaining things. (Take Zero's dress for example)

Sorry for the long, useless words. xD Anyway, story time!

* * *

Kaien was in a bind.

He had successfully managed to convincingly lie to Yuuki. His adoptive daughter had come storming into his office during her lunch hour the day he returned, demanding to know where Zero was – if he had returned from his mission. She had quickly rambled something about not being able to find him on school grounds. The former hunter's heart nearly broke at the sight of the girl. She looked as if she had not gotten a wink of sleep in the miniscule amount of time she was able to. Her eyes had taken up a darker hue, filled with unadulterated panic and worry. It looked like she was unable to breathe correctly from the way her arms occasionally folded at her chest and gave it a slight squeeze. Over all, Yuuki looked lost – like something had died inside of her.

Kaien's words had formed a ball in his throat at the sight of her. He had planned on telling her that he had yet to return, but that he was fine; the mission would have to take longer than expected. Instead, to calm her (even if it was just a little bit), he had told her that he _did_ return and rested a bit, but the Association called him for another mission overseas. He had expected for her to be angry and even more worried about his wellbeing, but he quickly added that he did not go alone. He reassured her that Zero was accompanied by two more hunters, who were slightly more experienced with more challenging assignments.

The male had the satisfaction of seeing Yuuki's eyes light up and her posture return to what it had been before her partner was given his assignment. It was almost as if a visible weight had been lifted off of Yuuki's shoulders. She inhaled and sighed in relief before hugging him, asking to keep her updated on him, and jetting off to class.

Yes, Yuuki had been rather easy to fool. Kaien mentally winced at his choice of words, but quickly pushed that thought out of his mind. He needed to be focused on his current situation.

It may have been easy for him to lie to Yuuki, but lying to Kaname was another story. After years of working together and spending time together because of Yuuki, the pureblood learned how to distinguish the difference between the former hunter's truths and lies.

The two male sat in the Chairman's office, across from each other – Kaien behind his desk and Kaname in one of the chairs ahead of it. Knowing wine orbs bore into honey hues, demanding that it be said out loud.

"Kiryu-kun is still here, isn't he?" Kaname repeated; his voice cold and hard.

Kaien sighed in defeat. His fingers intertwined, forming a bridge for him to rest his chin on, "Yes. Kiryu-kun is still on campus."

Kaname knew it from the very beginning. He remembered smelling the ex-human's blood. He could still feel him. He could not quite comprehend why it agitated him to know that Cross had thought it would be okay to lie about the hunter's whereabouts. Kaname did not care for him in that sense, yes, but he was Yuuki's guard and he needed to keep tabs on him at all times. It did not help that, though she tried to hide it and did not look as disheveled as she had the first day, Yuuki was worried about him.

"Why would you tell her that? She'll be expecting him back soon."

"You know the answer, Kaname-kun," Kaien stated softly. "It was the only way to explain his absence."

It had been three days since Zero had returned from the mission. Three days in which the hunter slept. To Kaien's surprise, his wounds had healed even though the hunter had not fed in a while. Or perhaps while Kaien was working, Zero had woken up, fed from anything but a human (Kaien secretly hoped it was Kaname), and went back to sleep. Given his condition before he left and after he returned, Zero was in need a good sleep. But Zero had not woken up. He had not spoke or even groaned. Hell, the boy did not even move! The only thing that let Kaien know he was still alive was the steady rise and fall of Zero's chest.

At that point, it had registered in Kaien's mind that Zero had fallen into a coma.

He supposed he should have taken him to a hospital or brought some medical attention over to the house, but word would spread to the Association and the last thing he needed was for them to be on his back _and_ worry that Yuuki would find out through them, though, she had no ties to the Association whatsoever. But somehow, the Association always found a way to exploit secrets, even if it was in a discrete manner. It almost made the Association seem like it run by the cunning vampires of the Council. Kaien truly did not see how the two branches did not get along well.

"I want to see him," Kaname snapped him out of his reverie.

Kaien's eyebrows furrowed – partially in concern and partially in confusion, "W-would you like to repeat that?"

Kaname stood, his face remaining stoic, and turned towards the door. He twisted the knob, "I want to see him. You don't have to tell me where he is, I can find him."

The pureblood exited the room.

* * *

A cacophonous symphony of glass cracking echoed off of the maroon walls. Kaname struggled to contain his anger and pain. The whole tore at his heart, slowly, piece by piece, only to stitch it back together to repeat the process. The ripping drummed against his ear drums, blocking out all sound. Growls rippled through his contorted mouth; his canines fully lengthened. His fingers had transformed into claws.

It seemed to little Yuuki that Kaname's eyes would permanently remain the dark crimson – nearly black – color they had taken up. She shuttered, gripping the fabric of the couch she had been hiding behind. Her ears drooped, in case Kaname decided to begin tossing things around. She had never seen her brother behave like a…monster. He looked as if he wanted to tear the palace apart and leave nothing but ashes behind. She cleared her throat, swallowing the ball that had formed there. She took a deep breath, desperately trying to use her shield against the frightful aura radiating off of Kaname, but he had not taught her enough.

"You lost him?" Kaname snarled. "Why is it that I can't find one _damn_ soul to bring that boy to Wonderland? And why the hell is he _so_ stubborn? Why can't he just be an obedient level D and follow his superiors?" He added, more to himself than to Yuuki.

Yuuki blinked, realization suddenly hitting her. Kaname thought she lost him when she was trying to bring him here. She giggled dryly, silently. Perhaps she had not been very specific in her report to him. She cleared her throat once more, managing to choke out, "Onii-sama, he's here, in Wonderland. I lost him in the woods, I don't know where he went, but he's here."

Through the noise filling Kaname's ears, he had somehow managed to hear the little voice's words. His anger evaporated almost as quickly as it had come. A calming sensation waved over him. He pulled his hand from the wall he had punched, though he did not remember doing so, and drifted over to the couch. He winced guiltily, witnessing the tiniest flinch backwards Yuuki made. He did not mean to scare her. He never wanted her to see that side of him.

He lifted her, smoothed the skirt of his dress and sat down, cradling the small girl in his lap. He rubbed her back, soothingly. Her small trembles slowly faded into nothing. His lips pressed against her silky hair, "I'm sorry, Yuuki. Forgive me for jumping to conclusions. Forgive me for scaring you."

Yuuki shook her head, "It's okay. It was my fault. I didn't tell you the story right. I though you would know, because you're always watching him."

Kaname chuckled softly, his fingers trapping her chin. He lifted her face. He wanted to make sure she had not been lying to him, though he knew she never would. "Are you sure that Zero is here?"

Yuuki beamed and nodded, her head cocking to the side slightly, "Of course. I never let my Onii-sama down, ne?"

"No, Yuuki. You never let me down." Kaname's lips roamed around her face, planting grateful butterfly kisses along his trail. He thanked Kami for giving him such an angel. He truly did not know what he would do without her. It seemed she was the only one who could get things done.

He tightened his grip on her, hums drifting out of him as he was pulled into his thoughts. He allowed a smile paint its way onto his face. Zero, his life, was in Wonderland. Mission one was complete. Mission two, though had changed severely. Initially, after Zero slipped into Wonderland, Yuuki was to find a way to keep his interest to bring him to the palace. Losing him was in no way part of the plan, and Kaname did not have a back up. Thousands among thousands of ideas swarmed through the queen's mind, but none of them worked. For the first time in his life, Kaname did not know what to do and it burned him.

What he did know, however, was that he had to find Zero before _he_ did.

* * *

The male was in unadulterated ecstasy. He groaned. His lips were latched onto someone's – he really did not care who – throat, pulling their life liquid out of them. This was his fourth meal today. At least in his mind it was. He lost count after the second one, allowing himself to be fully overpowered by the vampire inside of him. He was so lost in the sweet nectar that, rather than put out the flames in his chest and throat, left him aching for more. He wished for nothing more than to swim through the stream if this sanguine fluid for eternity.

Unfortunately, the limp body tangled in his arms had other plans. His sustenance had ceased. He growled and tossed the body to the side, ignoring its thump against the wall.

His crimson eyes glazed over the room, a twisted smirk playing onto his blood stained lips. He certainly had enjoyed himself too much, judging by the massive amount of eternally unconscious bodies among the room. He sighed, painfully. This was his favorite room, too. Oh well. There were plenty of other rooms that needed to be used.

A small wave of fear broke him from his thoughts. It looked like he missed one. His eyes landed on the girl standing in the doorway. He frowned. It was only Sayuri, his spy. From the slight fragrance of olives in the room, it seemed as if she had been there for quite some time.

"May I ask why you bothered to attempt to interrupt my meal?" He stood from his seat in the middle of the room. There had not been a chair in here, and though he had requested one, he figured his servants were smart enough not to intervene. He had already been lost. He slowly stalked his way over to her, making sure to hide his extending claws.

The girl bowed apologetically, reporting, "The boy, Zero, is here."

Any trace of anger in the male diminished. The Red Queen had finally brought him to Wonderland. He smirked. How much more weak could the Red Queen get?

"Are you sure?" He had reached the, now, trembling girl, his hand cupping her cheek. He resisted the urge to lick his lips as a pink tint colored her cheeks. Really, she smelled absolutely sinful and her actions towards him made it even better. Her breathing hitched as the male planted kisses along her neck going as far as her collarbone. She silently begged for more, but would never ask. She always waited until he offered.

Sayuri nodded feebly, coughing out, "I'm positive. The White Rabbit was with him at first, but she lost him as did I."

Ah, Zero was alone. He gently ran his fingertips along her arms, never removing his lips from her neck. He inhaled her scent. He grinned at her shudder when he grazed his fangs along her sensitive flesh, just at the contour of her neck. This was why she was his spy; she always came back with something positive.

"Come, Sayuri. You did an excellent job," He lifted her, wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. He nuzzled his nose into her neck, occasionally licking the tender skin. She moaned softly, biting her lip rather hard as he slowly began to grind against her. The smell of her blood hit his nose. He quickly lapped up the blood, kissing her lightly, reprimanding gently, "No, no, Sayuri. Wait just a bit."

He carried her across the hall, kicking the door to the previous room closed. He would find Zero. He would make Kaname grovel at his feet.

* * *

Zero twisted his head to the side, groaning. The light coming in from the window was certainly irritating him. He wanted to sleep a little while longer. Why the hell could he not do that?

The silver headed hunter wrinkled his nose at the feeling of something grazing upon it. He swatted whatever it was away, but it came again. He huffed, turning his head towards the sun despite the intensity. Again, he felt the grazing against his nose. He growled and resolved to open his eyes. He squinted, allowing his eyes to adjust to the sudden light. He turned onto his side, wincing at the small tug from his legs. Why was he suddenly so uncomfortable?

He kicked at his legs, but whatever cloth was wrapped around them would not budge. He stopped his struggles with another growl.

His amethyst eyes roamed around the unfamiliar room. The walls were painted a forest green, stopping at the beige carpet. It was bare; the only piece of furniture was the bed he was currently occupying. He studied the room for a while longer, wondering where he was. The dorms did not look this way and as far as he knew, the Chairman's house contained only four rooms. He had been in all of them as a child and he doubted Kaien changed the way they looked.

Voices swarmed around in his mind, memories projecting themselves before his eyes. He remembered the child Yuuki, jumping into the lake, and leaving from a pool. He remembered following Yuuki before losing her in the woods. He remembered following an intoxicating scent. What happened after that, he did not know, but he remembered seeing Kaien and Ichijo in the room. Kaien and Ichijo…so he was with the Chairman. Perhaps not the Academy or the Chairman's house, but he was somewhere. The question was where.

Something grazed on his nose once more. His eyes caught a silver hue contrasting against the navy blue bed sheets. He blinked for a moment, confused, but brushed it off of his shoulders. His eyes fluttered shut. It was just his hair. His hair…

Zero's eyes flew open as he jolted up, groaning when dizziness overwhelmed him. He grabbed a fistful of his hair from the back, bringing it slowly to the front. His eyes widened. His hair was long, much too long. It stopped just at his hips. Looking down, he noticed that he was not in his Day Class uniform, either. His eye twitched as he tossed the blanket off of him. What he thought was just a top was actually a dress. The dress had baby blue and white stripes, stopping at the white frilly cuffs at the end of the long sleeves. Poking out of the hem of the skirt was white lace. Covering the dress was a white apron with large pockets at the sides and pleated hem. His eyes trailed down his legs. He shuddered involuntarily. He was wearing white knee high socks.

Zero stood, heading towards the open door across from the bed to the connecting bathroom. Lucky for him, half of the wall above the sink was made of glass, reflecting his appearance to him. The dress stopped just at his knees and had a revealing white collar. Or at least to Zero, it was revealing. It left his neck wide open.

His jaw dropped; his attention drifted to the large accessory at the crown of his head. Slightly tilted to the side was a baby blue bow rimmed with white lace.

Zero studied himself in the mirror before rage waved over him. His pulled at the bow, but it would not move. He lifted the dress, trying to pull it over his head only to be given the same results as the bow. The dress would not come off. It was almost like it was glued to him. Zero tugged at it, ignoring the slight burn at his neck from the cloth rubbing against it. He growled and released the skirt, allowing it to fall into its original position. He tugged at his hair, desperately hoping it was a wig, but the hiss that escaped his lips told him otherwise.

How did his hair grow in a matter of hours? Who changed his clothes to this…this…monstrosity? Who… The Chairman slipped into his mind. His eyes narrowed.

The hunter twisted on his heels, power walking angrily towards the closed door across the room. He zipped out of the room, following the scent of chamomile tea. Zero did not take in his surroundings, his mind solely focused on his hands clasped around the Chairman's neck.

The trail of tea led him to a small kitchen on the same floor. A silent rumbling formed in Zero's chest. Kaien was sitting at the table, sipping tea and munching on a piece of cake. It angered Zero further to see that the male was acting as if he had done nothing. He stomped over to the table, slamming his hand on it, nearly breaking it in half.

Kaien jumped, barely managing not to spill his tea. He set the cup down, his gaze shifting to the young male. He smiled, "Ah, Zero-kun, you're awake. Are you hungry?"

Zero's eyes narrowed, glaring daggers at the former hunter. He lifted the apron with two fingers, almost as if he were disgusted by it – which he partially was. "What the hell is this?" He spat.

Kaien blinked, arching an eyebrow in confusion, "A dress?"

"I know that! I meant what the hell is it doing on me?" Zero gritted his teeth.

Kaien chuckled, "They're your clothes, Zero."

Zero growled, rolling his eyes, "I didn't come here in this. Where is my uniform?"

"Zero, you don't have a uniform. That dress is yours." Kaien took a sip of his tea, his eyes never leaving Zero's. He inhaled, and then sighed, "It would probably make more sense when I tell you what's happening." He gestured towards the empty seat across from him. "Please, sit. I'll explain while you eat. You _are_ hungry, correct?"

Zero pulled out the chair he had been standing behind and sat down. He nodded in sync with the large growl that erupted from his stomach.

Kaien smiled, suppressing his chuckle. He snapped, summoning his servant.

Zero was slowly beginning to notice a difference in the man. For one thing, he did not shout for joy and try to hug him when he came down, happy that he was alive. Secondly, he had a somewhat serious demeanor compared to how he usually acts. Third, he called him Zero. Cross called him Kiryu, unless he was being serious. Lastly, he did not offer to cook for Zero. The last observation was the one that sent shivers down Zero's spine. Even if the Chairman was joking or dead serious, he would always offer Zero his neck or to cook some of his special concoctions for him. His eyes followed the little penguin robot slide into the room, halting at the table.

Kaien pulled him from his thoughts, "What would you like, Zero?"

"Anything would be nice," Zero replied in a small voice. He was not in the mood to object to any food offered, he just wanted to eat. He began to follow the penguin again, slightly amused. It looked like a child, but a child with the maturity of an adult. It was cute.

His gaze turned to Kaien, watching as he poured himself some more tea. This could not be and was not the man who had taken him in when he was younger, even if he looked like him. Or perhaps he was, but was giving Zero a break after seeing the condition he was in. Zero shook that thought out of his mind. That was impossible, the Chairman always acted like a child. "You're not Cross," he stated.

The dirty blond male took a sip of his tea before setting it down gently. He sat back, folding his arms across his chest and smiled slightly. His honey orbs connected with Zero's amethyst. "I _am_ Cross," He corrected. "I'm not _your_ Cross, but I am his equivalent."

"You act nothing like him," Zero muttered, silently thanking the penguin, who had set a plate of unfamiliar food in front of him. He mumbled another thank you when the penguin poured him some water. Suddenly, aware of his thirst (and not just for water), he took hold of the cup and took a few gulps.

Kaien chuckled lightly, "No, I am not like him. We have different personalities because we live in different places."

Zero was reminded that he did not know where he was, "Where am I?"

Kaien paused in the process of lifting his cup. He gazed at Zero, questioningly, "Don't you know?"

Zero shook his head, swallowing something that had tasted somewhat like bread. How did Cross expect him to know something like that? He was just brought here, technically against his will, by Yuuki. He repressed a growl at the thought of the small girl. She ran off without giving him the chance to ask her where he was or why he was here. She did not give him the chance to ask her who she really was. It frustrated him beyond knowledge.

"Well then," Kaien smiled, mimicking his counterpart's disposition. "Let me be the first to welcome you to Wonderland."

Zero paused, nearly dropping his forkful of what seemed to be eggs. He was in Wonderland; the place where that girl went to when she was taken down the rabbit hole. _What was her name?_, he thought rummaging through his childhood memories. He remembered reading it once for school. Personally, he thought it was idiotic. Whoever wrote it was obviously a lunatic to think that there was a parallel world where animals could talk and everyone was…well, mad.

Zero shook his head in disbelief, "So what you're saying is I'm stuck in a fictional world?" The hunter snorted, chewing the last of his food and gulping down his drink. "There is no such place as Wonderland. It's a fantasy world with talking flowers, grinning cats, and ridiculously idiotic trials that have no evidence against the victim whatsoever. I have no idea what you've been drinking, Chairman, but maybe you should stop. It's messing with your already harebrained head. Now, would you please quit playing games and get this dress off of me? It's very uncomfortable and I'm not a girl. You can tell everyone else to cut the act as well, I'm not buying it."

Kaien feigned hurt, continuing to copy his counterpart. He wiped an invisible tear away, frowning and sniffling, "I'm hurt. Zero doesn't believe me and he insulted me." In an instant, he settled down, washing away any playfulness, "Zero, this isn't a game. Wonderland is real and you are in it. I'm aware that there is a book about Wonderland, but it is entirely fiction aside from the characters. You know that a girl named Alice was brought here by the White Rabbit, but because she found it strange, not because she needed to be here. The dress belongs to you because _you_ are Alice. Here in Wonderland, certain people have certain titles. Yours is Alice. That dress will not come off of you unless you are changing into another one."

For a moment Zero forgot how to breathe. His body told him that what Kaien was telling him was true, but he refused to believe it, "Yuuki is the…"

"The White Rabbit," Kaien partially nodded. "That part of the story is true, but the White Rabbit is not the only one that can bring people into Wonderland. The rest of them can, too."

"The rest of them?" Zero's eyebrow furrowed, "Can you?

Kaien shook his head, "No, I can't bring people into Wonderland. Those who work for the Red Queen and those who work for the White Queen can only do so." Kaien studied Zero's stoic face.

So far, Zero knew that he was Alice and that Wonderland was ruled by two queens. How that was possible was beyond his concern, he truly did not care. What he wanted was to get home. Kaien had said that he needed to be here, but he did not see why. Whatever happened in Wonderland was the Red Queen's and White Queen's problem, not his. Zero's thoughts faltered. This was impossible. It _had_ to be a dream. Kaien was just lying because he wanted this prank to go smoothly. Zero would not accept that Wonderland was real. "Yuuki brought me through this pool. Could I go back the same way?"

"No. Once you're in Wonderland, you never leave unless granted permission," Kaien stated bluntly. He sipped the last of his tea before forming a bridge with his hands and resting his chin on it. He watched as Zero's eyes briefly darkened with anguish. He understood that Zero's wish to leave. The boy had a home and people he cared for. "There are only three people who know of the exit; the Red Queen, the White Queen and the White Rabbit," He continued.

Zero racked his hand through his hair. This nightmare just kept getting worse and worse. "I need some air," he mumbled, standing from his chair.

Kaien nodded. It was a lot for Zero to take in at once, he understood. He snapped, calling for the penguin robot. He gestured toward Zero, silently asking to see him out. The robot peeped in response and began to lead the hunter towards the main entrance.

"Oh, Zero," Kaien called out before the two were out of earshot. The penguin skidded to a stop, nearly tripping Zero. Zero turned around, his normal glare on his face. Kaien smiled and gently slid a silver object across the table, "This fell out when you were hit in the head. Take it with you; you'll need to be extra careful out there."

Zero retreated into the kitchen. His snatched his Bloody Rose from the table and shoved it into one of the apron's pockets, "What do you mean?"

"The country is at "war"."

Zero could hear the air quotes around the word 'war'. "I was brought into a death trap?" He questioned sarcastically.

Kaien continued, "The White Queen and the Red Queen are at odds. They both want the same thing and will do anything to retrieve…what it is they want." He struggled to find the right words. He would not say that they were fighting for him; that would push the boy into unadulterated rage. "The White Queen regularly sends spies to do his work for him."

Zero did not miss the '_his_'. Kaien had used the White Queen and 'his' in the same sentence. The White Queen was the subject of the sentence, so 'his' was referring to the White Queen. Zero's mind swarmed with so many questions that he did not know where to start – or if he wanted to know the answers at all. Wonderland seemed so simple in that book, but when it came down to it, the place was so complex, that even Kaname would not understand it. "Him? Isn't a Queen supposed to be a she?" Zero voiced his thoughts.

"Everything is what it isn't in Wonderland, Zero," Kaien answered. "You'll understand."

The hunter turned on his heel, trying to ignore the headache that had formed. He silently followed the penguin and released the breath he had not known he had been holding. He did not watch or know where he was going; he just needed to be away from the house. He would find it later or ask someone for directions. At the moment, he needed to think about what he was doing here and how he would get home. A shiver trickled down his spine as the thought of being stuck in Wonderland crossed his mind. No, there was no way he would stay, he thought as he followed the path into Wonderland's only city.

* * *

**iBunnyxD**: That's the plan. :D I like long chapters, too, but they kill me when writing them. D: xD

**kanze4ever**: I'm not sure if it will be KxZxK. For me, its easier to write KxZ than ZxK, but we'll see. :D

**i'mthenewCAKEPIG**: Yeah, I know she's scary. xD Since she's a pureblood (as the White Rabbit), I tried to weave in her personality as one.

**simply anonymous**: You get a cookie for your Zero-falls-into-a-coma thought. :3 That's how I had planned it when I started the story. :D (gives virtu-cookie)

**mpiedz**: Kaname and Queen Kaname only look alike. Other than that, they're completely different. In personality, Queen Kaname has more temper tantrums and openly shares his anger. He's very demanding and very selfish. He doesn't hesitate to get rid of those who anger him or betray him unless they're close to him. For example, in the prologue, he could have killed Aidou, but since he's one of Kaname's inner circle, he cares for him and didn't do so. Hope that makes sense. o.o

BIG thanks to everyone who reads and reviews. You mean the world to me. :D


	4. Three

What's this? Could it be? Yes, yes it is! It's chappie threeee. :D Finally, right? xD I'm happy to finally have this chapter out here. :3 It was supposed to be longer, but I cut it because there would be no action for the next chapter if I didn't. o.o And we can't have a boring chappie, now can we? :3

PS. Sorry for any mistakes or if it sounds rushed. I often write at night when my mom is sleeping, so she's not all up in my face, so I'm sleepy. :3

* * *

The feel of the beating heart underneath his hand disgusted him. He curled his fingers, his nails not quite tearing the protective flesh instead gripping it. Kaname had entrusted his treasure to the half naked boy beside him and here he was sleeping away, leaving an emotionally wrecked and naïve Yuuki to fend for herself. It was not that the pureblood could not protect her, he _would_ do a better job than Zero, but he was not around the girl as much as he would have liked to be.

It bothered him further when the hunter did not respond. He was sure that once he stepped into the room, Zero would open his eyes. Kaname growled, his nails slowly penetrating Zero's skin. The hunter remained immobile. He snatched his hand away, slashing Zero's somewhat fragile skin in the process. He frowned when the gashes on Zero's chest healed as quickly as he had created them. What in the world could Zero be undergoing that would make him heal as if he were a pureblood? The scent of sickly sweet blood filled the room, Kaname's hues tainting crimson. He wondered how it was possible for an ex-human to smell so mouthwatering.

The pureblood pushed the thought from his mind and slashed at the hunter's chest once more, hissing when they disappeared before he even lifted his moved his hand. What was happening to Zero?

Kaname sighed, his head falling into his hands. He did not care – he _should not _care, but he did. The hunter had fallen into a coma while he was injured. He should be dead by now, but he healed quicker than a pureblood. Kaname slowly began to wonder if Zero was a pureblood. Though, the boy was of a hunter lineage (and it could be proven) and turned by Shizuka, the idea was very plausible. After all, Yuuki was born a pureblood made human.

Kaname lifted his head, pursing his lips as his eyes roamed over the unconscious boy repeatedly. It amused him to think of Zero as pureblood. He did carry aspects of one, but they could easily come from his hunter blood. Before the pureblood stood, he leaned over the hunter, his lips at the hunter's ear. "I will return, Kiryu. And you had better be closer to awakening."

He stood from the edge of the bed, ignoring the blood stains on the sheets. Kaien would know as he always did, he trusted him not to do anything reckless. He would explain later on.

He swiftly slipped out of the room's window. He could always use the front door, but there was the risk of being caught by Yuuki. He would have no distractions from tonight onward. He would be sure to tell Ichijo later. Though Kaname knew enough about Zero, he had never delved deep enough into the boy's heritage. He would learn everything there was to know about the Kiryu bloodline and when that ran out he would find something else on the silver headed prefect. Kaname held onto his theory that Zero was a pureblood and was merely awakening. Of course, he was very doubtful, but there was a high possibility and Kaname wanted to know how Zero would turn out if he happened to be one.

The pureblood was rather annoyed that Zero had caught his interest; being a pureblood, he had too much to do. Papers needed to be filled out, a few meetings to attend to, galas, and on and on. He had no time for the ex-human, but he found himself _wanting _to know more about the prefect. Even if he did not want to admit it, he liked being in Zero's room. It was peaceful; not to mention that the subtle hints of emotions that radiated off of Zero during his short time there was more than bemusing and utterly enthralling. And he knew that the Night Class would not disturb him there if he controlled his power well.

Yes, Kaname would definitely return to that room. He would study and await the hunter's awakening. He told himself that is was to punish Zero – which he certainly would – and nothing more, but he could not ignore the silent nagging at the back of his mind.

* * *

"Are you sure we should be doing this?" A hesitant, nearly silent voice mumbled.

The second voice hummed in response, his eyes drawn to the figure ahead of him. He had to keep a close eye on him; he had to make sure he went down the right path. If not, his whole plan would be screwed up and they would be in…trouble did not even describe it.

The boy beside him sighed, running his hand through his hair as he looked up toward the sky. He was growing annoyed, a feeling he had never really experienced before… It made him feel a little awkward. "Are you listening?"

The boy waved at him over his shoulder, trying to silence him. He needed complete concentration on Zero. "I heard, I heard. And I'm positive that we should do this," he retorted, whiningly. "He didn't ask us to do it; I made everyone do it on their own free will."

The petite girl standing beside the other boy scoffed as her lips twitched upward in a small annoyed smile. So, he had tricked them into tagging along with his plan? Really, she had better things to do; none of which required following Alice around until he ended up at one of their houses. She pondered over why he would ask them to help; he was perfectly capable of doing this himself. Her thoughts paused as her eyes glazed over the male's back. No, she was wrong. He could not do this himself because he would find a way to screw up his own plan. She kicked at a rock near her feet, clearing her throat, "So, you're just doing this to be a kiss up. Is that correct?"

He spun around to frown at her. He was not trying to be a kiss up; he just figured it would be in everyone's best nature to snatch the boy up.

"Rima," Aidou sighed, setting a hand on her shoulder. "Don't you want to see Kaname-sama smile? Don't you want peace in the palace? We're doing this, so that Kaname-sama can sleep peacefully and so that _we_ can sleep peacefully."

Rima rolled her eyes, shaking the blonde's hand off of her, "Hn."

Aidou turned his attention to Zero once more, nearly shrieking when he saw how far he had gone. How in the world did he move so fast? He charged after him, forgetting the two he had brought with him.

"Come, Shiki," Rima ordered, poking his nose to wake the boy up. It was not uncommon for the boy to fall asleep standing. He was known for doing so and often scolded by Kaname for falling asleep at the wrong time. She laced her hand with his and dragged the sleepy boy along, slowly following Aidou.

"Hn," Shiki hummed. "Why did we get stuck with the Hatter?"

Rima shrugged, "I don't know."

* * *

Of course she had to be stuck with them; the two idiots squabbling behind her. That was why they were called the Troublesome Three…she did not even cause the trouble. She did her work, but of course, the two made her look bad, so their work was only partially done. Then again, she really did not care; her master had his favorites. It made her wonder why he sent them out.

It was a miracle, he never asked them to work. They usually hung around in the unused wing of the palace, goofing around unless he called for one of them to feed off of them. She nodded, finally understanding why they were chosen for the job. Sayuri probably returned with good news. Aoi sighed, trying her best to tune the other two out, but failed miserably.

"Eh, why do we have to go on this mission? Sayuri is master's favorite, why didn't he send her?" The youngest one, Kamiko, whined.

Aoi grit her teeth, suppressing a jealous growl. She was not afraid to admit that she was jealous of Sayuri, and she did not hide it from the others, especially Sayuri herself. She wanted to be one of her master's favorites; what made Sayuri so special? Just because she did not have two children – though, Rina was the same age as her – clinging to her. "_Sayuri_," she seethed, "is busy at the moment."

Rina and Kamiko fell silent, their lips forming a perfect 'o'.

"And besides," Aoi continued, gaining control of her anger. "The Red Queen's subordinates don't know us, since we're horribly _underused_." Aoi halted. She turned to narrow her eyes at the two.

Kamiko held her hands up, in both defeat and defense. Aoi could be very scary when she wanted to be… And that was often. "Okay, okay, lighten up. We'll do our job today," she paused, pursing her lips. "Besides, Zero-sama is too handsome to look away."

Rina, the one who was often silent unless provoked by Kamiko, raised an eyebrow in amusement, pointing in Zero's direction, "Really? He's getting away."

Aoi and Kamiko turned their direction to the male, who was slowly being hidden in the crowd; the latter squealed, while the former groaned. They were already off to a bad start. Aoi and Kamiko jetted after him. Rina walked, she was not one for physical exertion, though her job often called for it.

"Hurry or we'll lose him!" Kamiko shouted. Aoi skidded to halt when they were safely distanced from Zero, simultaneously clamping her hand over Kamiko's mouth, "Shut up! He'll hear us, idiot!"

The three had been assigned to follow Zero through town on behalf of their master. He wanted to know who Zero was staying with, where he went, what he did. They were ordered to bring him in if there was a moment when he was completely alone. Truly, they did not understand why Zero was so special to have the White and Red Queen battle each other for him, aside from his obvious beauty.

Aoi released Kamiko as she studied Zero's backside for a moment. He certainly had the build; not too muscular, but not at all scrawny. He was just right. From the short glimpses of his face, his amethyst eyes sent shivers down the Persian-orange headed girl's spine. The way the sun's rays reflected off of his silver hair and porcelain skin was enough to take her breath away. She bit her lip, heat rushing to her cheeks, "For once Kamiko is right, Zero-sama is stunning."

Rina raised her hand, pressing it to Aoi's forehead ignoring the smug look on Kamiko's face, "Are you feeling all right? You just said Kamiko was right."

Aoi slapped her hand away, scowling. Her face darkened, "I'm fine. Weren't you two just talking about it anyway?"

Rina giggled, her own cheeks tainting with a rosy hue, "Handsome, indeed. I mean, just look at him. Even the way he walks is absolutely gorgeous."

"It's nice to know Aoi even had an interest in men other than master," Kamiko teased, her eyes suddenly brimming with joyful tears. "Finally, you realize Zero-sama's beauty!" She paused, playfulness evaporating. She whispered, low enough so that only her partners could hear her, "Maybe we should form our own party and fight for Zero-sama."

Rina and Aoi slowed as Kamiko's proposal sank in. It would be nice to have Zero to themselves and bask in all that he is. They certainly wanted him in an unfamiliar way. But the question was not if they wanted to do so, but whether they had the strength and mentality to rebel against their master. He had threatened them when he overheard them hypothetically speaking about switching sides. They simply wanted to know what life was like behind enemy lines. Would they even make it on their own? More importantly, would Aoi, the strongest of the group, be able to desert the attention that she was so close to achieving?

Whatever the answer, the girls needed to make a decision before it was time to report back to their master.

* * *

He had to get out of there, he just had to. Zero was minutes away from exploding. The whispers throughout the crown were maddening. The stares that were directed at him were nerve wrecking.

"Is that Alice-sama?"

"Alice-sama has returned!"

"Ah, Zero-sama is so cute!"

Zero groaned and picked up his pace. He did not understand why the crowd was acting as though he were above them. Half the town was made up of noble vampires (which made him even more fidgety; his hunter senses were going berserk), but unlike at home, they praised him.

"The Red Queen finally brought him back. He's back."

Zero released the breath he did not know he was holding out. He had finally reached the woods on the other side of town. He stepped into the shadows, deeply disappointed. If he had not been the object of everyone's attention, there was a great chance of him remaining in town. He had seen a poster for a fair that was taking place on that same day. Perhaps he would have attended, just to walk around and study Wonderland's inhabitants. The hunter pondered over the mass amount of the vampire population. Did all of Wonderland consist of the beings he hated? Were the Red and White Queen vampires, too? He knew Yuuki and Ichijo were vampires here, being bitten by the former and put to sleep by the latter.

While his mind journeyed through his questions, Zero did not miss the environment in which he was passing through. He was surprised to find that the flowers did not speak or hybrid creatures wandering about. Wonderland was more normal than what he had once thought. He shuddered. He would rather Wonderland be the way it was in the books; it was much simpler and he knew the ending – the girl woke up. How would his adventure end? Would he wake up or was he really trapped in this unfamiliar place where he left everything and everyone back home?

He liked to think that he would wake up; that made his stay in Wonderland much more bearable. The question that troubled him was how that would happen. He was already hit in the head, which should have woken him up if it were a dream.

"Zero-sama, Alice-sama, Wonderland," Zero muttered, blowing his flowing hair away from his face. "It's all a bunch of nonsense."

"Nonsense, you say?"

Zero froze, his hand twitching into his apron pocket. Unease flooded through him and the desire to kill _something_ overtook his mind. The sickly subtle scent of cherry blossoms invaded his air, making his skin tingle. He successfully latched his hand onto his gun, but did not immediately pull it out. He would wait until she did something drastic. Of course, changing him was pretty drastic already, but maybe she would explain to him why she did it – why she kept only _him_ alive.

"Before you go blasting that thing off, I'd like for you to know that I may be her, but I am not her. You should know this, Zero, Kaien already taught it to you," Shizuka scolded almost silently, emerging from behind a tree. "And nothing in Wonderland is nonsense, Zero. You're here for a reason."

It was then that Zero raised his eyes to her. Any snide remarks he had to her flew out of his mind when he saw the cat ears and tail emitting from her. His eyes bulged as he took a step back, gritting his teeth to contain the small chuckle that tried to escape his lips. He was surprised to find that all his murderous intentions were replaced with shock and unknown giddiness. Perhaps being Alice made him that way…or the fact that Shizuka was a pureblood cat was completely absurd.

He swallowed his chuckles, clearing his throat, "You're the Cheshire Cat?" He asked, suddenly remembering the grinning cat that appeared out of nowhere in the books. So far, the only difference was that Shizuka was not grinning or acting eerily idiotic. She was herself.

"You see, you catch onto things quickly. It's no wonder why she picked you." Her lips twitched into a small smile, briefly. She twirled a strand of her silvery pink hair, "As long as you are here, I'd prefer it if you didn't compare me to her, Zero. I would never do something like that. I would never harm you, so you can trust _me_."

Zero smirked. Purebloods were always very manipulative. She knew that he knew that and she knew that he would never do such a thing, so why would she tell him to? The characters of Wonderland were more complex than they were portrayed to be and Zero began to give up on comparing the real thing to the fake. "That will never happen. And you know that, very well, Shizuka. After all, your counterpart was the one who made me this way. Don't you have any control over her?"

Shizuka shook her head, "Perhaps counterpart isn't the correct word to be used. Neither of us is connected to them; we're completely different from them unless they are the same through and through. Think of us as what they truly are on the inside." She paused, when she saw his eyebrows furrow together.

"But Cross said that you're different because you live in a different place."

Shizuka smiled, "That's because he was going easy on you. There's a lot for you to learn about Wonderland, but we can't overwhelm you, now can we?" She sighed, vanishing and reappearing on a tree branch. She lay on her stomach, resting her head on her arm while her legs and tail dangled over the edge. She continued when Zero's amethyst hues turned to her, "Take Cross for example. Back home he is erratic and gives you constant headaches, correct?" Zero nodded. "Because he was a hunter prior to the Academy, deep inside he still carries the disposition of a hunter. Therefore, here in Wonderland, he is serious. However, if he were joyous both outside and in, he would be the same here as he is there."

Zero pondered over this for a while. It did make sense – a lot of sense. He hissed as he tossed his hair over his shoulder. It bothered him more than he thought it would. He glared at Shizuka when her twinkling laughter danced in his ears. "It's not funny," he growled.

"No," she agreed. "It's cute. You'll get used to it." She giggled again when another growl emitted from the hunter.

"You said I was here for a reason. What is it?" Zero questioned, thinking back to her reprimanding. She reminded him of Yuuki when she yelled at him for being rude to the Night Class; more importantly, Kaname.

Shizuka sat up, all traces of laughter shed from her being. She locked her gaze on him, her eyes narrowing slightly. His hand itched toward his gun again as a strong and fiery aura surrounded him. "To rid Wonderland of the Red and White Queen."

* * *

No sooner had Zero left, his three shadows stalked toward the upcoming diverged pathway. Aoi's frustration had vanished upon the girl's silence. She knew what the other two were thinking, because she was thinking the same. They still had not made up their mind on what to do after they captured Zero. Aoi was sure, though, that Kamiko and Rina would want to split from their master and take Zero with them. She, on the other hand, was far from coming up with a decision. She wanted to remain with their master, only because she did not Sayuri to think that was weak, but she also wanted to break apart from him, so that she would not live under the constant competitions he threw at them.

"Aoi, look out!" shouted Rina.

Aoi snapped out of her reverie, spinning around to face the myrtle haired girl. She felt the ground tremble underneath her and as she turned her attention to it, it cracked and split. Before she had a chance to move, the terrain rose, lifting Aoi in the process and encasing her body in stone. The girl struggled against her restrains, screaming when she was shocked in response.

"Aoi!" Rina shouted again. She took a step forward, unknowingly triggering a trap. She gasped as a net suspended her from the ground. She would have clawed her way out, but the net was not made from rope. Instead, it was made of a material similar to barbed wire. It cackled whenever she moved. Rina gritted her teeth, "Aoi, don't move. These are hunter traps. Kamiko, leave now. Get some help from Sayuri."

Kamiko nodded, slowly retreating. She had not triggered any of the traps the other two did, so she turned around and picked up her pace, but soon realized that that was a mistake. She flew backward as she hit an invisible barrier, stopping when her back hit the electrical stone. She shuddered violently, sinking to the ground, nearly unconscious.

"Kamiko!" Aoi shouted, twisting her head to check on the saffron haired girl. She screeched as another violent shock rippled on her skin.

Rina growled, "I told you not to move!"

"Hm, you three really are pathetic. And you were doing so well."

Aoi bit her lip, restraining another scream as she turned her attention to the shadowed figure in the tree. She could feel Rina's glower, but briefly as she turned her attention in the same direction. Kamiko remained immobile, afraid to move an inch. Aoi hissed and Rina growled upon Shizuka's appearance. "You traitor!" Aoi seethed, "You're supposed to be on our side."

Shizuka chuckled darkly, crossing her legs and resting her chin on her hand. She cocked her head to the side slightly, "I was never on his side. He's always known that." She smiled as her eyes roamed across her work. She really did have fun trapping the three, but unfortunately she would have to set them free. It was how it was supposed to be. She sighed inaudibly, "I will not let you harm Zero. I will not _your_ master get his hands on him. Zero is Kaname's; there's nothing that can be done about that." She paused. It would be less fun if she warned them of his whereabouts, but Zero was not to be stopped until sundown. She jumped off of the tree, sinking into the black woods, "And as far as following him once you're released, you won't be able to. He is currently in their territory; you'll get caught if you continue to pursue him."

* * *

Shizuka's words danced in Zero's mind. He was brought to Wonderland to rid the land of both queens. He honestly did not see how that would be possible as he had not met either queen, and he did not plan to. He did not want to be Wonderland's savior. He just wanted to return home. He would rather deal with Cross or be forced to stare at that arrogant pureblood for years than be confined to Wonderland another minute.

_To rid Wonderland of the Red and White Queen_, Zero thought. Wonderland looked fine to him. He saw no sign of poverty or slavery in town. The bloodsuckers looked happy enough, even though they were in the sun, which surprised Zero beyond belief. Of course, the part of Wonderland that Zero had seen upon his arrival was another story. Was that still Wonderland or was it a border? As far as he knew, and as far as anyone had mentioned, there was only Wonderland with two rulers.

Zero's thoughts slowly shifted to the two he only knew as the Red and White Queen. So far Cross was just Cross, Shizuka was the Cheshire Cat, and Yuuki was the White Rabbit. He was Alice and Ichijo was…what was he? He did not look like anyone from the books or royal, so what was his role here? The hunter cleared his head, focusing on the Red and White Queen. Who were they? Why were they addressed as their title?

Being lost in his thoughts, Zero stumbled. He threw his arms out, catching his balance quickly. Zero was not one to trip or fall. His hunter lessons practically lived on reminding him of grace. If one did not have grace, there was no way to win; the enemy had an advantage. But he did not sense any vampires around; all he could make out was a nauseating nicotine aroma. He coughed, awkwardly, covering his mouth and nose with the crook of his elbow.

"Oi, watch where you're going." A husky tone warned, a small smirk playing onto his face.

A little ways away from Zero, sat a man with unruly navy bluish hair. One of his pale baby blue eyes was covered with a patch and a cigarette placed gingerly between his lips. Zero recognized him immediately, but was surprised to find him here. Toga looked slightly different without his hat or formal clothes, thought Zero as he moved closer to where the older hunter sat on the ground. From the looks of it, he was wearing silk. Was he supposed to be the Caterpillar? "Master?"

Toga removed the cigarette from his lips, exhaling smoke, "I'll let you call me that because you're used to it from _your_ master, but here I'm known as Toga or the Caterpillar."

Zero sat down, but not too close to the older male. The putrid smell still managed to break his barrier. He wrinkled his nose, "Hasn't anyone ever told you that you can get lung cancer?"

Toga chuckled, leaning over to ruffle Zero's bangs. Even with a bow, the male still found a way to mess with his hair. Another soft chuckle escaped Toga's lips as he put the cigarette out, viewing Zero's annoyed and slightly pinched face. "Is that better?"

"Much." Zero dropped his arm, the aroma suddenly fading. "Since you're the Caterpillar, you know about almost everything, right?"

"I know my share of things," Toga replied, resting his head on his hand. "Kaien definitely knows more than I do because of that advisor guy."

Zero stared at the older hunter, questioningly, "Advisor guy?"

"That one vampire that works for the Red Queen. The blond one," Toga recalled. He never paid any attention to the vampire's names. He might not be the real Toga, but he was still a hunter like him and he did not care much for the vampires, which was most of Wonderland's populace, unfortunately.

It rang in Zero's mind that he was talking about Ichijo. So, now he knew that Ichijo was an advisor to the Red Queen. Which speaking of… "Who is he, the Red Queen? And the White Queen? Why doesn't anyone mention their _name_?" Zero questioned.

Toga winced inwardly. He had not been expecting for that to be the first question out of Zero's mouth. He would have preferred why the two queens were at war as it would have been much easier for him to answer. It was not that he could not answer the question, he could, but it would result in Zero trying to change things and that could not happen. He searched his brain, attempting to fabricate a decent lie. "Their names are much too sacred to be said," he muttered.

"You're joking," Zero scoffed. That did not make sense at all, but the look on his master's face told him that he was telling the truth. He picked another question from his mind, not bothering to investigate further on their names. It was obvious he would not be told. "Why am _I_ Alice?"

Toga sighed inaudibly, suppressing an eye roll. The boy would choose to give him the hardest of questions first. "The Red Queen chose you to be his Alice." He paused when Zero's confusion settled onto his face. "Whoever succeeds the red throne, gets the right to choose who they want to be their Alice. It's unusual for one to choose an Alice outside of Wonderland, but there's always that one…"

"Why am I called Alice-sama or Zero-sama?" Zero tossed another question at him. "It's not as if I'm above them," he mumbled referring to the vampire populace. "And I'm a hunter."

"Hn," Toga hummed. "I knew that one was coming," he mumbled to himself. "Technically speaking, Alice is the one true ruler of Wonderland. The Red Queen or King rules if he or she is unavailable."

Zero's jaw nearly dropped, "There's a king, too?"

Toga shook his head, "It's either or. There is always one red ruler. As for the white ruler, truly, there was no such thing until the current Red Queen took the throne. We don't know where he came from or how he established his monarchy." He continued when Zero urged him to. "No one listens to the White Queen, though. Only those that work for him do. He rules the desolate land across the gorge from the Pool of Tears. We don't call it Wonderland, but it's still a part of it."

The young hunter pondered over the information he had just been given. He certainly knew much more than when he first arrived, but he knew that he was far from understanding Wonderland. His conversation with Shizuka drifted into his mind, lingering over the first few minutes. "How did Shizuka know that I talked to Cross? Or what we talked about?"

Toga's eyes fluttered open, after having been closed while Zero thought of another question. A small smirk played onto his lips, "Nothing is a secret in Wonderland, Zero. The only thing we don't know is what runs through each other's minds."

"So, you mean…"

"Everyone knows who you are. Everyone knows you're here, who you talk to, what you do. But it doesn't only apply to you. It applies to all the Wonderlanders."

Zero swallowed the lump in his throat. He felt like he had been exposed, somehow, like he was being assaulted. He shuddered slightly, suddenly feeling dirty. He picked another question from his mind to steer him away from his unease. "Why are the queens fighting? Wonderland seems to be in perfect condition."

If Toga thought that the question was easy before, he changed his mind. It was not an easy question to answer. How would he be able to tell him that they were fighting over him without the boy running away? "The White Queen wants power," started Toga, tying the appropriate words together. He resolved to allow Zero to figure the answer out for himself. "He wants to be the sole ruler of Wonderland and make the Red Queen serve him. The Red Queen simply wishes to protect what is his."

"So it's just the standard battle over land?"

"It's more complicated than that. Land has nothing to do with it. Like I said, the people only follow the Red Queen."

Zero did not understand why the man would not just tell him why they were fighting. He rewound their conversation, beginning with why the White Queen is involved in the war. _He wants to be Wonderland's sole ruler_. _Sole ruler_. A light sparked in Zero's eyes, the pieces slowly falling together. _Alice is the one true ruler of Wonderland. The Red Queen chose you to be his Alice. The Red Queen simply wishes to protect what is his._ An inaudible gasp emitted from Zero. "They're fighting over me…"

* * *

After all but kicking Zero to go on, Toga pinched the bridge of his nose. He had not expected for the boy to be pissed. Sure, maybe a little, but not to the point where he was homicidal. He waited until Zero had calmed before rushing him off. He certainly could not afford for the boy to hurt anyone; it would ruin everything.

The hunter smirked, chuckling softly, "Kaien, I know you're there."

Kaien emerged from the tree behind him, slightly flushed from having been caught eavesdropping. "How long did you know?" He stalked over to the next, sitting next to him.

"A while."

"You didn't tell him," Kaien smiled, stiffly.

Toga reached into his hidden pocket, retrieving a cigarette and a lighter. He had put the previous one out for Zero's sake, but he knew that Kaien could handle it…if he stayed long enough that is. It had been obvious that he had been following Zero for some time. "It would have made a mess of things. We've worked too hard for it all to go down the drain." He paused to light the cigarette. "Aren't you going to follow him?"

The former hunter shook his head, "As you said, it would make a mess of things. He's on his own from here on out." He stood, heading home, waving over his shoulder.

"You care for him too much," he heard Toga mumble.

Kaien chuckled softly, pushing his glasses up further on his nose, "So do you."

* * *

Zero was finding it hard to concentrate on where he was going. After being told that he was being fought over as if he were an item, he did not know which way was up or down. All he knew was that he needed to escape Wonderland before either queen found him, which would be hard to do because he was always being watched. They would always know where he was, so it made no sense to hide. Zero muttered something incoherent, but sounding dangerously close to a string of profanities.

He found himself at another diverged road. Unlike the other, this one had a sign. The road to the right led to the Duchess and the road to the left led to the Hatter. Neither of the two interested nor applied to Zero. He wanted to return Cross' and take a nap; that would be best for him to think things through. His head was beginning to throb.

"If I were you," Shizuka appeared, resting her head on the sign. "I'd visit the Hatter. The Duchess does not favor you much and she's quite obnoxious."

A small smile played onto Zero's face briefly. He had forgotten that their thoughts were at least private. "How do I get to Cross?"

"The Hatter's way is the shortest," she replied flatly and almost too quickly. "There's a marked path near the area where he holds his tea parties. It should lead you to his house."

"Thank you," Zero mumbled, taking the Hatter's path.

"No problem." But she knew full well that it was. She would have like for him to take the Duchess' way, because she would not cause Zero as much trouble as the Hatter, but she could not change what was chosen. She tried to ignore the growing guilt in her chest, but failed. "Good luck, Zero."

ooo

Zero was beginning to trudge along the path. His head had officially begun throbbing and his stomach was slowly becoming active. He had been walking along the path for a good ten minutes and had not seen any sign of life. Perhaps he should not have trusted Shizuka and went the other way instead.

His doubt came to a halt when he came to a small clearing. In the center was a round table, rather than a rectangular one, loaded with sweets, silverware, and tea sets. He could understand the excess amount of settings if there were more than three people at the table, but there _were_ only three people. The one who had been babbling looked up and his face lit up. He stood and skipped over to Zero, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Ah, our guest has arrived."

Zero shook the hand away, ignoring the devastated expression the blond took up. He now knew that he should have taken the other road. "Sen-"

"No, no," Aidou cut off. "Here you call me Hanabusa." Aidou returned to his seat, tapping the chair beside him. "Come, sit, Zero-sama."

Zero growled, "Don't call me that." He sat in the seat next to the one Aidou had chosen. He would rest for bit, only until his headache had dulled…if that were possible at the moment.

Aidou pouted, slightly, "It's your name."

"You know," Zero folded his arms across his chest, crossing his legs. He leaned back in the chair, directing his attention to the Hatter from the corner of his eye. "I lost sleep because of you. On top of that, I'm not a big fan of you in my world. I have a headache and decided to rest here for a while. If you so much as make my anger toward you even greater than it already is, I won't be afraid to shoot you."

Aidou visibly paled; his frame freezing. In a way, he was reminded of Kaname when he frustrated him. He could now see why Kaname chose him. Even though they would not admit it, the two were alike in many ways. The blond gulped, moving one more chair away from Zero. He resolved to his plan, finding that the quicker they got it over with, the better. "W-would you like some tea?"

"No thank you," Zero replied bluntly. "I'm not too fond of tea or sweets."

The Hatter was at a loss. Not only had his plan failed, but he had no idea how to entertain someone so stubborn and he certainly did not want to do anything that would annoy the male. Aidou valued his life. An eerie silence fell upon the party, putting Aidou on edge. He hated silence.

Zero was studying the two that sat across from him. One was sleeping and the other sipped at her tea, her eyes shifting periodically. She had brownish-red ears sticking out from her head. The other had round maroon colored ears. If he remembered correctly, at the Hatter's tea party were the March Hare and the Dormouse, but he only remembered as far as Alice being mistaken for Mary Ann. "Touya-senpai, Shiki-senpai," Zero voiced, waking the male. "What are you supposed to be?"

"March Hare," Rima replied quite dully.

"Dormouse," Shiki followed.

Zero's eyebrow rose in slight amusement, "Isn't the march hare supposed to be mad?"

Rima shrugged, "Cross told you about the books already, Zero-sama."

"Oh, don't be too hard on him, Rima. He's obtained a lot of information, so he probably forgot. Right, Zero-sama?" Aidou popped in.

Zero fixed a glare on him, "Did I say you could speak?" He paused, proceeding when Aidou shook his head. "Why are _you_ the Hatter, anyway? Shouldn't you be one of those fat twins?"

Rima giggled lightly. Shiki coughed, hiding his laughter. Aidou pouted, glaring at the two. Oh yes, Kaname and Zero were exactly alike. They loved to pick on him. "I don't know why I'm the Hatter. That's like asking why everyone is who or what they are. And the twins don't exist here in Wonderland. The author just added them in."

The hunter nodded, tucking a piece of his hair behind his ear. He did not want to know where he learned that from, but it made dealing with the new length of his hair much easier. He sighed, standing from the table, his eyes meeting the path Shizuka had mentioned to him. "Pleasure speaking to you," Zero pursed his lips. "_Some _of you." He added quickly before departing.

Aidou stood, "Zero-sama, don't you want to –"

His words faltered as Zero spun around to give him one last glare. The blond sat back down, flushed as he tried to ignore Shiki and Rima's soft laughter.

"It looks like our plan failed," Rima sputtered between breaths. "What do we do now?"

Aidou shook his head, taking a sip of his tea. "Nothing. We wait until it happens."

* * *

"One, two, three, four, five, six," Zero counted under his breath. He had heard somewhere that counting until one hundred could calm someone down, but it was not working for him. He had not expected to run into Aidou of all people, but he was grateful that it was not the pureblood. He did not know how he would live if he saw him in a dress.

Zero froze as the bushes rattled; he sensed three vampires. He reached into his pocket, retrieving his gun.

"Forgive us, Zero-sama," Kamiko whispered, appearing at his ear.

He shuddered, planning to spin around, but was rendered immobile, falling into Rina's arms. He tried to move, but could only wiggle stiffly. He growled, hissing at the three females.

"Shh," Aoi murmured, pressing his final pressure point. "Sleep.

* * *

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Personally, I think it would be best to read the replies _before_ you review because I explain things that might be confusing, but it's completely up to you. :) If you do read the replies and are still confused, feel free to ask any questions. I don't mind, I love 'em. :D

Whoever guesses who the Duchess is gets a virtu-cookie ~ ! :3


	5. Four

:OOOO I have finally updated! Woo! :D This chapter was originally supposed to be out July 18th, but when I read over it, it was complete shit. I had to rewrite scenes, fix errors, and add a few things in here. I apologize if I've disappeared for quite a while - my life is hectic. =/ Anyway, although I fixed this chapter up, I still feel like it's crap, so if you have questions, don't be afraid to ask.

You should know that I used the proper spelling of Kain (Cain) and Ruka (Luca), simply because I wanted to. xD

You should also know that (and I didn't put it in here because I had no idea where I was going to put it): Aoi is a noble, Rina is a Level C, and Kamiko is a human turned vampire (by her master). Aoi doesn't know she is a noble, though, because she doesn't remember her childhood. She thinks her master turned her into a vampire.

* * *

Kamiko groaned, her cheeks puffed and her lips in a pout. She glanced over at Aoi, who had left her nearly stranded while she struggled to drag Zero around. Rina was beside her, but she was in her own world. "Oi, he's not a feather you know," Kamiko huffed toward Rina.

Rina offered a small smile, "You're the one who wanted to carry him."

"But…he looked easy to carry. He's thin, and I thought that he would be light," Kamiko paused, as she stopped to take a small break. She took a glance at the net they had stuffed Zero in, and blushed as her eyes ran over his features. She tilted her head to the side, "Maybe it's because of his clothes…"

Rina flushed, "Kamiko! Such impure thoughts! And you know he belongs to master, too!"

Kamiko blinked, her eyes widened, "No! Rina! I didn't mean it like that!" She released the net, and hid her face behind her hands. "Maybe it's you with the impure thoughts."

Just as Rina was about to defend herself, Aoi spun around to find that they were far behind her. She growled, and called out, "You're walking way too slow!"

Her eyes flickered upward, scanning the trees cautiously. She knew no one would follow them – she was already in neutral territory, otherwise known as Kaien's property. Since the man believed in peace, he created a treaty with both queens in order to keep from a war breaking out on his land.

"If I'm taking too long, then you take a crack at carrying him!" Kamiko shouted.

Aoi returned her attention to the youngest girl, stomping up to them and grabbed a hold of the net. She lifted it with ease, tossing Zero over her shoulder and shot Kamiko a glare that sent a shiver up the young girl's spine. "Weakling," Aoi muttered, stepping forward, returning to her place ahead of the two.

Kamiko stretched, her pout returning to her lips as she started up on her trek again, "You're not human…"

"Of course not," Rina followed. "We're vampires."

* * *

_**Red Queen's Castle - Main Hall**_

Aidou sighed, slumping in his seat, on the couch, with his arms folded across his chest. A deep frown was set upon his face, and he heaved another sigh. He wondered what he had ever done to be treated so coldly by both Kaname and Zero. He had only wanted to help bring them together.

Aside from thinking in terms of Wonderland, he knew that Zero had issues with the Aidou of his world, but it bothered him that Zero asserted that same hate toward him. He cherished Zero the exact way he cherished Kaname. If anything, he was more loyal to Zero since he was the true ruler of Wonderland – as were the other Wonderlanders.

Which brought another stone to be tossed upon the Hatter's shoulders; he hated that he could not protect Zero. He hated that although Zero has a choice in what to do and where to be, he was the victim of a prewritten fate. He hated that he had to follow the rules when it came to Zero.

Aidou knew that any Alice chosen was the treasure of Wonderland. With no Alice, there was no Wonderland, so it would make more sense to protect the chosen Alice _from _harm, rather than pushing them into it.

The blond felt something heavy drop onto his head, snapping him from his reverie. He looked up, narrowing his eyes at Akatsuki, "If I had my hat on, you would have to make me a new one."

The orange haired vampire smirked, ruffling the blonde's hair, and pulled away before Aidou had a chance to swat his hand. "I apologize, Hatter-sama," he teased. "But I do not know how to make hats as you do."

Aidou grumbled, pouting and turning his head away from his cousin childishly while Akatsuki sat in the couch opposite to him.

"So how did it go?" Akatsuki questioned, as he crossed his legs and his arms. Of course, he already knew how it went, but he loved to see Aidou become flustered over something.

Aidou twitched, and he gritted his teeth, "Is Zero-sama here?" Akatsuki shook his head. "Then how do you think it went, idiot?"

The guard smiled slightly, "You knew it was never going to work in the first place. Why did you even bother to try?"

"I only wanted to protect him," Aidou mumbled, his anger evaporating, but becoming depression.

"We all do," Akatsuki paused, pursing his lips as he studied the depressed Hatter. "Aside from perhaps Luca – she's still adjusting."

Aidou nodded, raking his hand through his hair, sighing. Akatsuki stood promptly, holding his hand out to the Hatter, who shot him a confused gaze. The guard nodded his head toward the door, "We can go out for a while." He paused, whispering, "Or we can go to the room for a bit of privacy."

Aidou flushed furiously, grabbing hold of Akatsuki's hand, only to pull him toward him, giving him better access to slap him, "Pervert!"

* * *

Yuuki pouted, grumbling slightly. Lately, the Day Class girls had been rowdy. Of course, that was thanks to Zero's absence. The girls pushed against the petite prefect, but she held her stance – legs apart and arms out to keep from falling back.

Despite her hardships with her duties, she could not help but worry about the silver headed prefect. He had been gone for a while, and Yuuki was beginning to think that the Chairman was hiding something from her. It did not help that whenever she asked about Zero, the male would hesitate before giving her what seemed to be a reassuring answer.

She truly did not understand what was taking the mission so long, though. She had grown up with the young hunter, and on more than one occasion she had seen his hunting skills in action – mostly when he was protecting her from the local level Es.

Yuuki snapped from her reverie as she felt a sharp jab to her shoulder. She moved quickly, reaching into her pocket and snatching her whistle. She brought the silver instrument to her mouth.

The girls squeaked, clasping their hands over their ears as they glared at the prefect.

"The Night Class does not leave the dorms during the day!" Yuuki reprimanded as best as she could, "Get to your classes!"

A few of the girls whined, spinning around to head to the main building. The others refused to move, shouting at the prefect that she had class too.

Yuuki huffed in annoyance, "And I'll be there once I make sure each and every one of you is away from the Moon Dorms."

The girls hesitated for a moment, turning around to head to their classes, leaving Yuuki behind.

The prefect glanced around the area, checking to make sure there were no hideaways. Her wine colored eyes lingered on the spot Zero would normally stand in while on his duties, and her stomach churned.

Something was not right with Zero, and she would be sure to find out.

* * *

Sayuri drifted, almost silently, through the halls of the White Queen's castle. Her legs wobbled and her knees buckled from time to time, often causing her to stop and hold the wall in support. She would have thought that by now she would have been used to her master's rough lovemaking, but after each session, her side affects lasted for slightly longer than the previous ones. The part that she hated was that he master would set a charm on her, so that her healing would not kick in until after they had finished.

Sayuri hissed at the thought. She loved the man, but she hated how he loved to see her bruised and nearly helpless. She did not complain much, though, simply because she enjoyed it just as much as he did. The only thing she hated more than being restrained was that he did not share his blood with her. He expected her to give her blood to him freely, and screw her without her vampire abilities, but he would not give her even a drop of his blood no matter how thirsty he left her.

He had mentioned it was saved for someone special, and she just knew he meant Alice.

The spy sighed in relief as she reached her bedroom door, throwing it open and awkwardly waddling in. She slammed the door shut, trudging to her bed. She hissed as she slowly lowered herself onto the bed, stopping to rummage around in her nightstand. She pulled out a small container, removing one of its contents and placing it back in the drawer.

The item held a red cake-like substance in the shape of a small star. Sayuri popped it into her mouth, moaning as a burst of sweetness invaded her taste buds. It melted onto her tongue becoming thick and gaining a small hint of rust and salt. Sayuri shivered as the warm substance slid down her throat and into her stomach – her thirst vanishing.

She lay back gently, shutting her eyes. Aoi, Kamiko, and Rina had been sent to retrieve Alice and bring him back to the master, much to Sayuri's dismay. She did not like the three girls; Aoi being the most intolerable to her. If her master had allowed it, Sayuri would have torn her to shreds, but he needed them. She did not know for what – after all, they had never done any of the jobs he had given them before properly. How could they possibly capture Alice? A _vampire hunting male_ that trained from the moment he turned six?

Sayuri chuckled bitterly. When she woke up, she would find them and take Alice if they had him. She would bring him back and continue on to be the master's favorite.

The spy twitched as she slowly entered her sleep. She would not allow the girls to become master's favorite. Not that they were any competition for her in the first place. Sayuri had a larger problem on her hands.

There was absolutely no way she would allow Alice to take her master from her.

* * *

The petite girl blew at her sweat matted forehead. They had been walking for hours, taking turns at who carried Zero. Kamiko had taken hold of him five minutes ago, and she could not handle another step. She was tired and her bones ached, regardless if she had vampire abilities or not. They were weak, as she once was when she was human.

"Aoi, may we please stop and sleep for a while? We've been awake since the day before yesterday," Kamiko whined.

Aoi grumbled, ignoring the girl and continuing on her trek, "You're always whining. Save that energy for returning to the castle."

"But Aooooi," The saffron haired vampire pressed.

"No."

Rina yawned, stretching her arms above her head and stopping in her tracks. Her gaze shifted to Kamiko, who quickly mimicked her. Rina smirked slightly, "Actually Aoi, I think stopping would be a great idea. I'm pretty tired myself."

The auburn haired girl twitched, clenching her fist and performing breathing exercises through her gritted teeth.

"Master gave us three days to return with Zero-sama, Aoi. I don't understand why you're in such a hurry," Rina reminded, twirling a piece of her hair around her finger.

Aoi huffed. She knew they had three days, but she did not trust Sayuri or her Master, despite her unrequited love for him. She did not trust the so-called neutral territory. She wanted to make sure that they captured Zero and brought him to the castle safely, so she could be rewarded as Sayuri is.

She took a glance at Rina, who held her smirk, and Kamiko, who held a pout. She sighed in defeat, "Fine. We'll stop here."

ooo

Flames danced in front of Aoi's eyes, who were watching the fire the girls had created in the woods surrounding the road. She clutched her knees to her chest, resting her chin on her knees. In one of her hands, she gripped the net tightly.

Rina and Kamiko lay across from the fire, huddled together on the makeshift mattress of leaves they had created. Though they were awake, none of them spoke to one another. They were each in their own world, pondering over whether they should leave their master or stay with him.

Aoi's face scrunched slightly at the thought. She tore her gaze from the fire, turning her head so that she could rest her cheek on her knee.

She wanted to leave him, she chanted mentally. She would leave him. Despite how much she complained about them, she wanted to stay with Kamiko and Rina. She wanted Zero all to herself. She wanted to be free of Sayuri and to be free of her master's bind.

The noble's heart clenched, causing her to flinch. She wanted…she wanted her master. She wanted his hands to roam over her body. She wanted his fangs in her neck, while she slipped into a world of ecstasy. She wanted his love, his acceptance, his appreciation. She hated being treated like trash and the only way to achieve that was if she brought Zero to him.

Aoi sighed silently, running her tongue over her aroused fangs. She licked her suddenly dry lips, and swallowed to moisten her throat, hoping to tame the arising torch that had slowly begun to form.

"Aoi, are you sleeping?"

The hunger in Aoi faded quickly, as she looked up to find both Kamiko and Rina staring at her in worry. She smiled softly. They had felt her hunger building. It was almost like they had been born sisters with the eerie way they seemed to know when something was wrong with another.

Rina smiled, "We're almost there, aren't we?"

Aoi nodded, ignoring Kamiko's instant pout. "So…about that…plan," Aoi muttered.

"I think we should do it," the younger one piped in. "We would take good care of Zero-sama on our own, anyway. I don't think master will give him happiness."

While the older vampires pondered over the thought, Kamiko went on, "And besides, Zero-sama might love us all equally."

"Did you forget that Zero-sama _despises_ vampires?" Rina reminded.

"Well yeah…but he can learn to love us," Kamiko pressed in hope.

Aoi had blocked the girls out, losing herself in her world again. She focused on one option, listing the pros and the cons and then did the same for the other.

Staying with her master would mean competition. It would mean fighting for his love and his appreciation. It would mean always living in the shadows of Sayuri. It would mean living with the loneliness in her heart and the dangerous depression. But it would also mean a home and food.

On the other hand, leaving would give her more freedom. It would mean Zero's happiness. It would mean living without having to constantly competing with someone. It would mean having a steady job that she actually liked. It would mean living with her soul mate sisters, and having the time to actually treat them right (because she admitted that she did not treat them correctly). It would mean _possibly_ being loved by Zero in a way that she had never been loved before aside from the love that Kamiko and Rina shared with her. She had the possibility to open up to others instead of shutting herself out and solely devoting herself to her master.

"Aooooooi," Kamiko sang, snapping the girl from her thoughts. "What do you think we should do?"

Aoi blinked, processing the younger vampire's question before settling a barely visible smile on her face, "I think we should just leave, and take Zero-sama with us."

Kamiko squealed in delight, clapping her hands rapidly. Rina raked her fingers through her hair, "Are you sure Aoi? You've always lived with Master – he created you before us."

The auburn haired nodded, "I just…I can't do it anymore, Rina. I'm tired of it all."

Rina needed no further explanation. She slowly turned onto her side, mumbling, "Good night."

The saffron haired vampire yawned, "Where will we go tomorrow, Aoi?"

"I was thinking Kaien's house. We'll be safe there. I doubt Master will come for us," Aoi lied. She knew he would come sooner or later. The best thing to do to keep them safe would be to leave Wonderland. They could go with Zero, back to his world. They would be safe there.

Kamiko nodded, setting her head on her arms, yawning once more, "That sounds good. Goodnight."

* * *

She was a traitor. She was a liar. She was the scum at the bottom of the ocean. She hated what she was doing, but she absolutely had to do it. She did not care if it left a whole in her heart, but she had to do it.

Aoi ran through the woods with Zero tossed over her shoulder, quickly finding the road and zipping toward the gorge. She would apologize to Kamiko and Rina later. They would forgive her.

* * *

**_Cross Academy_**

Kaname turned the page of his book, scanning its contents rather quickly. He sighed inwardly, flipping another page. His research was going absolutely nowhere – anything he found on the hunter had all said the same thing. Zero was one of the sons bore to an internationally known family of hunters. He trained with Toga Yagari, alongside his brother and a few other boys. He had been turned by Shizuka Hio, the night his family had been murdered. He was taken in by Kaien Cross, and attended Cross Academy, serving the school as a prefect, while actively working as a hunter.

Kaname shut the book, tucking it beside his thigh. He rested his chin on his hand as his gaze ran over the Night Class. Though the vampires were friendly to one another, they had formed cliques and often stuck to those cliques. Kaname never really understood why, as he had never bothered to engage with anyone outside of his inner circle.

He smiled mentally when he found his target, Aidou Hanabusa. He stood, clearing his throat, receiving the attention of every vampire in the room, including the teacher. "Aidou, may I have a word with you?" But he did not wait for a reply, as he exited the classroom. He knew that the blond would follow him. "Takuma, you're in charge until I return." Of course, telling the other blond so was not necessary – he would know the moment Kaname left the room, but he did it to emphasize his order.

The brunet proceeded to exit the building, listening to the set of footsteps that followed.

Kaname halted when he reached the Chairman's house, allowing Aidou to catch up with him. He turned to a confused Aidou, pursing his lips slightly. He did not want anyone to know about Zero's situation. He did not want Aidou of all people, but he was in dire need of information, and he knew that under his order Aidou would not tell a soul.

"Kaname-sama, what is it?"

Kaname offered the blond a ghost smile. He could hear the worry dripping off of the noble's tongue. "Don't worry, Aidou. I'm fine."

Aidou nodded, his eyebrows crinkling further in confusion. Kaname went on, "I have a favor to ask of you, Aidou, but I need to know that I can trust you."

"Of course you can!" Aidou responded without hesitation. "I would never betray you," he mumbled, a small pink tint gracing his cheeks.

Kaname chuckled silently, before donning his stoicism once more, "You must not speak a word of this to anyone else, Aidou. Even with Cain. I trust you and _only_ you on this."

The noble nodded again, though he had no idea what his leader could be talking about. They had been standing in front of the Chairman's house for some time, and he wondered what role the Chairman had in whatever was wrong with Kaname.

He snapped from his reverie when he heard Kaname's footsteps shuffle through the pebbles on the ground. He followed; his mind was in frenzy when he saw Kaname pass by the front door, heading toward the side of the house. The pureblood was nowhere to be found, but a window on the second floor opened. He caught a glimpse of the brunet, and raised an eyebrow before climbing up a tree and slipping into the window silently.

Kaname sat on a chair beside a bed with his legs crossed and his gaze set upon it. He looked worried, almost lost. Aidou's eyes glazed over the figure on the bed, his eyes widening. It could not be possible…Kaname, his precious Kaname-sama was worried…for Kiryu?

"K-Kaname-s-sama, wasn't Kiryu supposed to be in America?"

"The Chairman fabricated a lie to explain to Yuuki, and we thought it would be best to use it for his absence," Kaname explained. He turned to the noble, who was still standing by the window. "Aidou, he refuses to wake up. The Chairman told me that he went on a mission, and when he returned he was covered in gashes. Though he has not fed, his injuries have healed, and if he were to be attacked at this very moment, he would live."

Aidou shook his head, "That's impossible. He's in a coma."

"I did the little research I could, but I need you to delve deeper into this matter. You have more connections than I do," Kaname admitted, his gaze returning to the hunter on bed. He reached over, slashing his chest, clenching his teeth when his injuries healed.

Aidou gasped, a sudden yet well known tingle rushing to his throat. He quickly spun around, sticking his head out the window to breathe.

"Aidou, leave," Kaname ordered.

The blond turned to him in question, "But I need to –"

"Go!" Kaname hissed, but he knew it was too late.

The door swung open.

* * *

He slipped in and out of consciousness. He could feel his body constantly hitting something, like he was being rocked awkwardly. His face scrunched in discomfort. There were too many voices all at once. Zero wondered why he always heard voices when he was asleep, or when he was waking up. It was really starting to irritate him to no end.

"You visit him often, don't you?"

Kaien. It was the Chairman. Who was he talking to? He could not feel anyone around him.

Suddenly, the presence of a vampire hit him. He fought to open his eyes, but they did not want to open just yet. He could hear soft sobbing, and smell salt. Someone was crying. Was it Yuuki? Zero heard the person gasp, which was quickly followed by a sniffle.

The rocking stopped and he hit something hard. He hissed silently. What the hell had those girls done to him?

"I do, but it's not to harm him. He's much too precious to Yuuki and to you."

That voice. Zero knew that voice from somewhere, but he could not pinpoint it. It sent a shiver down his spine, and a sense of authority washed over him. _"I will return, Kiryu. And you had better be closer to awakening."_

Awakening? When had he fallen asleep?

Zero replayed the order, snapping his eyes open and hissing. Kuran had been near him.

"Oi! Shut up! We'll be caught!" Aoi reprimanded, staring down at the net.

Zero's hisses died down as he scanned his surroundings. He was still in Wonderland. The Chairman was not around, and neither was the pureblood. Where had he been just now?

He glared at the girl, fumbling around in his large pockets for his gun. But he found them to be empty, growling as a small smile formed on the noble's face.

She reached into one of her pockets, pulling the Bloody Rose from it and wagging it in front of Zero's face.

The hunter jutted out his hand, squirming when the net sent a tiny shock through his fingers. "Give it back!" He screeched through clenched teeth.

"You'll get it back when we get to the castle," Aoi murmured, tossing him over her shoulder once more as she began her trek. They were almost at the gorge, but that did not mean she was safe. There plenty of people that worked for the White Queen, and she knew that they would most likely be waiting for her. "But will you please, please be quiet. If you can't do that, then at least lower your voice. _I _won't hurt you, but there are plenty of other people that will.

Zero narrowed his eyes, but complied. He pressed his lips into a thin line as his eyes bore into the noble's back. There was something different about her. Something was missing…

"Where are your friends?" Zero inquired, interested as to why she was alone. He was sure he had seen and heard two more girls with her. But then again, it seemed like Wonderland loved to make it seem like he was insane.

Aoi stiffened, slowing her steps. She was beyond grateful that they had reached the gorge. She threw a glance over her shoulder, checking to make sure no one had been following her. She jumped off of the cliff, hopping onto a ledge.

Zero shut his eyes tightly. It was not that he was afraid – he knew vampires were very stealthy. He just did not like the feeling of falling when he was not the one jumping, especially when it was a vampire he did not know.

He huffed when he was tossed onto the ground. He growled at the vampire, "Would you stop that?"

"I'm sorry," Aoi mumbled, not really paying any mind to him. Her gaze was currently set on the rocky wall ahead of her. She had to find the entrance quickly; she could feel the excitement and the greed coming from the land. She knew she did not have much time to get him to the castle – there were probably people waiting for her to arrive already.

Zero watched as her hands ran over the wall again and again. He did not know what she was looking for, nor did he know how she was planning on holding onto him while she climbed the wall. He somehow found this wall familiar, but he could not pinpoint it. He had seen it when he first came to Wonderland, and though he felt like he knew about it, he could not remember.

He flinched as a sudden soreness overwhelmed his body. The hunter stretched as much as he could, wincing as a few of his joints cracked. He studied the noble while she continued to rub the wall. How he wished he was free of the net, just so that he could wrack his hands around her neck and –

"Ah," she gasped. Aoi smiled, pushing her finger into a small hole.

Zero blinked as he felt the ground tremble and a large portion of the rock shift. He did not have time to watch the door to a hidden passageway open. He was snatched from the ground, tossed over the girl's shoulder and she zipped past the narrow opening, tapping something on the wall to make the door shut.

The dark passageway was narrow, but Aoi had enough room move around without having to tuck her arms closer to her body. The feeling was becoming stronger, and she was afraid that if she did not make it to the end of the passageway, she was done for.

The hunter hissed as the net zapped him against the friction between his body and hers. "You tell me you're not the one that wants to hurt me, yet you continuously abuse me," he spat through his teeth. He chuckled darkly, "Well, I shouldn't expect less from a monster. Especially after you just ditched your friends."

Aoi's step faltered slightly, but she continued on. "Forgive me, Zero-sama, but I wouldn't talk about monsters. _You_ were the one who bit the Yuuki from your world," she paused when she felt him flinch and a low rumble emit from him. "And I didn't ditch them, if you may know. They'll catch up in a while; I just needed to make sure you were safe from harm."

"Hn," Zero grumbled. He did not like the feeling this place gave him. The strong vampire presence made his hunter senses tingle to no end, but there was something else. It mentally suffocated him, and he thought of the moment he had seen Yuuki's pale neck. The want that had surged through him. The greed that had overtaken him when he sank his fangs into it.

But there was a much stronger aura surrounding them, almost as if the person was there with them. It was that one that sent Zero's hunter senses wild. It was cold and tainted with greed, lust, and hatred. The closer they got to the exit, the stronger the presence became. He wished he had his Bloody Rose with him. He could take them down. It might be a tad bit difficult for him because of the dress, but he could do it; Toga had trained him.

"Where are you taking me?" Zero finally asked, unconsciously fumbling around for his gun.

"To the White Queen," Aoi answered, nearly cutting him off. "Now please, be quiet. We're getting closer and they will hear you."

Zero had tuned the girl out after her fist four words. _To the White Queen._ A picture of the gorge formed in his head, and Toga's words played in his mind. _He rules the desolate land across the gorge from the Pool of Tears._

Anger surged through him in short, quick spasms. He could feel his blood boiling, but it was not because he was angry at Aoi. It was not because he was angry at Wonderland, or anything else that had occurred during his time here. He was angry at himself for allowing everything to happen. He was angry at himself for following rabbit Yuuki, for going off on his own, for being an idiot and forgetting things that he knew he should not. Zero was doing the exact opposite of what Toga taught him.

He would get his act together the moment he was out of the net, and had his gun in his hand. He would fulfill his duty to Wonderland. As his heated glare set onto Aoi's neck, he pursed his lips in thought. And he would start with her…

* * *

The male emerged from the room, licking his blood tainted fingers and strolling toward his throne room. He could smell Zero. He could feel his agitation and anger.

He groaned, smirking darkly. How he wished Zero knew what he did to him.

* * *

**_Red Queen's Castle - Main Hall_**

"You're an idiot," Luca hissed at an indifferent Aidou. "What if he had actually been stupid enough to follow you? You should feel lucky that he hates you. If he had followed you, Wonderland would be in ruins by now."

Aidou yawned. The Duchess was known for lecturing him before Kaname could get to it, and since they were ever so close, he had grown used to it. It was almost like having a second mother around, scolding him for every little thing he did.

Unfortunately for him, he was left alone with his second mother. Cain had to join Kaname while the Red Queen ran a few errands.

"You would do the same if you wanted to protect Zero-sama," Aidou pointed out.

The corners of Luca's mouth twitched upward, "Of course. I'd just do it differently – much more effective than your feeble attempt."

He would have tossed at chair at the female noble, but Cain had decided to enter the room, and he knew that if he tried to hurt her, Cain would burn his hats.

"Kaname-sama has arranged a meeting in the throne room," he mumbled tiredly. He was grateful that he did not have to repeat himself, stepping aside to let them pass through the door before following them.

The walk from the main hall to the throne room did not take long. The group of three entered the room, joining the already formed line and bowed before Kaname, who sat upon his throne with Yuuki perched on his lap.

The room was silent for a moment as Kaname studied the line in front of him. Wonderland already knew of Zero's capture, much to Kaname's dismay. He wanted to avoid it rather than follow through with Alice's fate, but he was too late. The White Queen had "attacked" earlier than he thought he would.

The Queen gave a heavy sigh inwardly. "Luca, Aidou, and Rima shall gather up our army and run through strategies. You will train for the next two days. Cain, Shiki, and Seiren will come with me. The White Queen will not have his guard down, and I will be far too focused on the White Queen than worrying about my back," Kaname stated flatly.

A symphony of "Yes, Kaname-sama" erupted, but quickly died down.

Yuuki pouted slightly, looking up at the older pureblood, "What about me, Onii-sama?"

Kaname smiled softly, pulling her close to him and kissing the top of her head. "I wouldn't dare put you in danger, my sweet. So, you will spend the day with Kaien and Takuma."

Yuuki beamed, kissing Kaname's cheek. She had become attached to the two men since birth (Kaien because he would spoil her with treats, toys, and dresses; Takuma because he had the energy of a five year old) and she adored spending time with them when she was able to.

His smiled did not falter as he turned to his loyal subjects, "You are dismissed."

Yuuki slid off of Kaname's lap, hopping after Shiki and Rima. She latched onto their hands, pulling them out the door. They had promised to help her bake chocolate chip cookies, and she would make they followed through.

As the others turned to leave, Kaname stiffened. A sweet lilac aroma had invaded his nose. It smelled heavenly and oddly familiar. Kaname sniffed the air, pulling in the scent once more and found that it came from the Hatter.

"Aidou, stay for a moment, will you?"

It was Aidou's turn to become stiff. He gulped, turning on his heel and returning to his place in front of Kaname. The noble shuddered when he felt Kaname's nose against his neck. When did he get there?

Kaname took one long sniff, savoring the sweet scent that rolled off of the Hatter's body. It completely masked the Hatter's natural scent, and as Kaname took another sniff, something in his mind clicked. He spun Aidou around, clutching his shoulders, "You were with him, weren't you?"

Aidou did not need to be told who _he_ was. "Y-yes," he stammered. "Bu-but I did it because I wanted to protect Zero-sama! And I wanted to bring him to you, so you can relax."

He could feel his face heating up as Kaname's stare intensified. He shut his eyes tightly, slightly tilting his head to the side, awaiting a slap. But it never came. To his surprise, Kaname chuckled and pulled him into a hug, nuzzling his face in his neck.

"It's all right. Thank you," Kaname murmured, inhaling Zero's mouthwatering aroma. "But the next time you try something like that without my permission, you will be punished."

"Y-yes, Kaname-sama," Aidou mumbled. His face turned just a shade darker as Kaname pulled him closer. Even if he was holding him because he smelled like Zero, Aidou would let him.

* * *

Aoi sighed in relief as she zipped through the castle. For the most part Zero had been quiet like she had asked and the mob of followers had lost their track. But until Zero was in his room, he would not be safe. She was almost there…

"Aoi, what's the hurry?"

The auburn haired vampire spun around, clutching the net tighter. She gritted her teeth, "Sayuri. What bring you to this wing of the castle?"

Sayuri smiled darkly, "Is that _Zero-sama_? May I see him?" She took a step closer to Aoi, who took a step back.

The noble hissed, "No." She quickly spun on her heels, sprinting hurriedly down the hall. She could hear Sayuri behind her, growling in frustration.

"Give him to me, Aoi!"

Aoi ignored her. _Just a little bit more_, she told herself. She could feel Sayuri right on her tail. _Come on, come on_.

She broke through the door, shutting it quickly and locking it. She gently set Zero on the floor and opened the net, allowing his freedom as she slumped against the door. She set her head between her knees, listening to the rustles of the net and Zero's hisses as he tangled himself from it.

"What the hell was that?" He screeched.

"That was what I was warning you about," Aoi answered without lifting her head. She had a massive headache and was in the process of controlling her breathing. "Zero-sama, please, take a bath and change. There are clothes in the closet – you can pick any dress you like."

"Not until you give me my gun," he compromised. Zero rolled his eyes when he heard her chuckle. He held out his hand. "Give me my gun," he repeated.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Zero-sama," the girl looked up at him. "You must remain unarmed here. Now get ready. He's waiting."

Zero grumbled. Though he would rather be with his gun, he found that it would not be so bad without it. He could find the quickest and most efficient way to rid himself of them. No, it would not be too bad without the Bloody Rose.

ooo

Zero emerged from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. Aoi squeaked as she flushed, hiding her face in the arm of one of the couches in the room. She heard Zero snicker, as if to say it was his room and he would do as he damn well pleases. She knew that she was not welcome, but she refused to step one foot out of the room without the hunter.

Said hunter had entered the closet, frowning. There were rows upon rows of dresses for him, and neither of them was decent. He stormed out of the closet, "Oi, don't you have any dresses that are a little more covered?"

Aoi blinked, thinking for a moment. She had not been in the closet, but she supposed her master had put in provocative dresses for Zero to wear – he often did that for Sayuri when he wanted her. "Check in the chest."

Zero did as he was told, huffing in relief as he pulled out the first dress he saw. It was a pastel blue and it was slightly less puffy than the previous dress. The downside was that it was a bit shorter. The sleeves were long, and the cuffs had a bit of lace around them. The dress's bosom was silky and pleated, as were the ruffles at the end of the dress. There were two bows directly under the bosom and white lace created the dress's hem.

It was so…girly, but Zero did not want to have to shuffle through the many dresses in the chest. He changed into the dress quickly, shuffling toward the dresser. He opened one of the drawers and pulled out a pair of shorts and identical white knee high socks. He pulled the shorts on and then the socks, turning to the girl.

"You can open your eyes now," he snickered.

Aoi looked up, her flush returning. Zero was absolutely stunning. She understood why the Red Queen wanted him. "Fix your hair," she pointed out.

Zero twitched, reaching for a brush on the dresser. He combed his hair from top to bottom, occasionally stopping to take a break. He wished he did not have so much hair, and he now understood the pain Yuuki had to go through when she did her hair.

Aoi smiled softly, standing and snatching the brush from Zero's hands. "By the time you're done, it will be tomorrow." She combed Zero's hair, freeing it from its knots before setting it down on the dresser. Just as Zero was about to stand, she grabbed hold of his shoulder and pushed him back onto the chair. "Wait a minute, Zero-sama."

She took hold of a white headband, scurrying to stand in front of Zero. She slid the headband onto his head, leaving his bangs out. She smiled, nodding at her work, "There we go."

Zero turned to the mirror, twitching as he reached up to remove the headband. It refused to move. He growled, glaring at the girl. "Why would you do that?"

"Because it looks cuter," she made her way over to the closet, pulling out a pair of boots and tossing them to Zero. "They may not match, but it's the only comfortable pair of shoes in here."

The hunter caught them and slipped them on. He would behave, but only because he had to befriend them in order to find out their weaknesses.

"Good, you're ready. Not let's go," Aoi commanded. "Stay close to me, Zero-sama."

Zero grumbled, "I can protect myself, you know. If you just gave me my gun…"

"I would like to. Trust me, I would," Aoi looked up, into Zero's amethyst eyes. He could see that she was not lying, that she was being one hundred percent honest with him, but something else had sparked an interest for the girl. He saw pain in her eyes and for some odd reason, he did not like it.

"Fine, I'll stop asking."

Aoi smiled, opening the door. She could feel her master in the throne room, which was only a few doors down from Zero's room. She wondered fleetingly if her master had done so on purpose – so he could keep an eye on Zero. The noble took a step outside of the room, dubbing it as the coast was clear.

She no longer felt Sayuri's presence, but she was always well at masking it. Aoi pushed Zero ahead of her, keeping her hand on his back as she led him to the throne room.

Upon reaching the room, she held onto Zero's arm as she knocked on the door. She opened it, peeking inside, leaving Zero outside, covered by the door, "M-Master?"

Sayuri had joined him in the room. She was kneeling beside him, her eyes glued to the door.

The male smiled, "Aoi, you're back early. Come in."

Aoi stepped inside, pulling Zero along with her. The boy froze as his eyes settled on the male casually sitting on the throne. It was an illusion – it had to be.

"Hello, my dear Zero. It's nice to finally have you here," the male rejoiced, standing from his seat to move closer to Zero.

Had he been in the right state of mind, Zero would have moved back, but he was in shock. It was at that moment that he knew Wonderland liked to make it seem like he was insane. He shuddered and flinched when the male bushed his cold fingers along Zero's cheek. He stepped back, still not quite out of his shocked state.

"I-Ichiru?"

* * *

Bum, bum, buuuuummmmm. :O ~To anyone who guessed the Duchess was Ruka, you get a virtu-cookie. :D

I realized that I made Zero OOC...e.e Not cute. _-talking to self- Get it together, Calendulaaaaa!_

And for anyone who wants to know what Zero's new dress looks like (remove the spaces): store01 . prostores . com / fanplusfriend /images /loli / 1ps / V00013 _ 01 . jpg

Oh, and the star cake thing that Sayuri ate was Wonderland's version of the blood tablets. They actually work, though. xD

PS. I told you the chapter was crap. e.e Most of it was just me putting stuff in there. xD

**News: **From here on out, the chapters will vary in length depending on how much information I want to put in it. For example, I needed to put a lot of info in this chapter because I wanted to leave you guys with a cliffie (cause I'm that cruel xD) aaaannndddd I wanted to make it so that Kaname and Zero meet.

**Love332: **They will meet in the next chapter or the chapter after next. :)

**Vivace: **For me, Wonderland is a little bit of both. In order to get to Wonderland, you do have to be unconscious, therefore making it a sort of alternate dimension. But it is still real. The characters in Wonderland, though, are the reflection of the original characters. So, some characters will be a bit or a lot OOC because I'm picturing how their opposite would be. And no, Zero has not been to Wonderland before. The people were just used to always having an Alice that live in Wonderland. So when Kaname chose Zero, someone that wasn't from Wonderland, Kaname took a long time to actually get him there. Does that make sense? o.o I hope it does. D:

**irmina: **Sorry if I didn't make that clear in the precious chapter. Aidou's plan was to drug Zero at the tea party and take him to Kaname. :)

**SouriMaxwellYuy068: **Yes. Aoi, Kamiko, and Rina belong to me. :) I needed them so that the White Queen could have his own little group of followers, as Kaname does.

**JoJo-Hearts-Yooohx3: **I made up the troublesome three for my own purpose. xD It was originally supposed to just be Aoi, but then I thought...what if she had a friend who annoyed the crap out of her? And thus came Kamiko. Rina was born when I wrote Aoi's and Kamiko's character profile. I figured since I have one work focused vampire, and one annoying vampire, why not include a vampire that is a mixture of both? :D

To everyone else: Thank you for reading and reviewingggg ~ ! I love youuuu. :D


	6. Five

Buahaha. I FINALLY update, eh? ;D I figured that I owed you guys for giving me 90 reviews on this story and for waiting ever so patiently for me to update things. So I pulled an all nighter to retype almost everything (because I wrote it, and didn't save it then it closed and I had to start all over). And I'm glad for that really, because I realized there were some parts that didn't even fit in this chapter. :D

Just so you know, this has got to be the _longest_ chapter/thing I have ever written in my entire life. And if I hadn't cut scenes out, it would've been longer. o.o

Anyway, a lot of people having been asking/demanding that I update _Possession_, and I will. I won't abandon it. It's just that it's being completely rewritten (plot and all (don't worry, it'll still be IxZ/KxZ :D)), and I don't want to update it or do anything with it until I _have _rewritten it. On top of that, I really want to finally update the last part of _SOWK, _'cause it's long overdue. o_o

I am planning on changing the summary to this story. Why? Well, originally, it was supposed to just focus on the Red Queen and Alice, but then I remembered that there was a White Queen. Thus, the White Queen arc was born. :) So, I have to have a summary that summarizes both arcs in one... if that makes sense. o.o

Let's see...am I forgetting something? Hmm...nope... This is my thanks to you guys, so enjoy! :D

* * *

Zero eyed the male standing in front of him warily. While he knew it was Ichiru, his mind just couldn't grasp it. Ichiru was dead - Shizuka had taken him all those years ago. As far as Zero knew, if Ichiru didn't exist in his world he shouldn't exist in Wonderland. Unless...

Zero tensed, clenching his jaw. Unless Ichiru wasn't dead. Unless Shizuka was holding his hostage, torturing him mercilessly for his brother's faults. An invisible shudder ran through the hunter's spine at the thought. Ichiru...

Ichiru smirked, holding his hand out to Zero, inviting him into his arms. Though knowing Zero, he would refuse, but Ichiru wanted to hold him for various reasons. One being that he wanted to sink his teeth into Zero's enticing neck. The second being that - while he hadn't chosen to wear any of the dresses Ichiru picked out for him - he wanted to screw the hunter until he was no more.

But Ichiru would have to be patient. _Achingly_ patient. And patience was not something Ichiru was born with.

"Come now, Zero," Ichiru cooed. "It's been a while, hasn't it? I've missed you."

Aoi's gaze danced from Zero to Ichiru. The level of intimacy (mainly from Ichiru) and awkwardness (mainly from Zero) was nerve wrecking. Her eyebrows furrowed as she watched Zero shift toward the door in an effort to distance himself from her master. Had they known each other?

Zero shook his head, refusing Ichiru's offer for an embrace. Something was off about his twin, but he could not pinpoint it. He studied the male carefully. His hair was longer than he remembered, but of course that was normal. Zero had last seen him when they were twelve.

But Ichiru was cold. Zero self-consciously rubbed the cheek Ichiru had touched. His fingers were cold, as was his gaze, body movements. His eyes were hard, nearly hollowed and darkened, deviating from their natural amethyst hue.

Power emanated from him, making Zero feel as though he were enclosed in a small room. It made Zero feel as if he were supposed to bow down to Ichiru as a slave to its master.

It wasn't until Zero caught sight of the fangs poking out through Ichiru's mouth that everything had clicked.

Ichiru was a vampire.

What made matters worse - Ichiru was a pureblood vampire. The very kind that Zero absolutely despised.

Could it be that Ichiru wished to have been born a vampire - a pureblood rather than a hunter? Was that why he was so different?

Zero clenched his fists. He was an idiot. How could he think that way about his treasured brother? Shizuka kidnapped him and probably killed him. Ichiru. His innocent, pure, absolutely adorable brother was the epitome of perfection.

Ichiru caught sight of the spark of realization that ran through Zero's eyes. His smirk widened, "You were always so bright, my Zero."

Zero visibly flinched, glowering at the pureblood. "Don't call me that." You have no right, he added silently.

Ichiru pouted, "Are you not happy seeing me again? How selfish. You've probably never thought of me since that night."

Aoi's mind fuddled as she watched the scene in front of her. Her master and Zero had known each other from before. How? When? Aoi was with her master ever since she could remember, and she did not ever remember seeing Zero around. She cleared her throat softly, blushing lightly and smiling sheepishly when Ichiru turned his attention to her, not looking too happy. "E-excuse me, Master, but how is that you and Zero-sama know each other?"

At this, Sayuri perked up, deciding to watch the encounter with Alice and her master unfold. Up until then, Sayuri was paying no mind to their conversation, choosing to focus on scrutinizing Zero while he was occupied with the White Queen. Honestly, she could not see what made him so special to her master. He was not even as handsome as everyone made him out to be.

Ichiru was caught a bit off guard with the question. Never once had his subjects pried into his personal life, so Aoi was being defiantly bold in doing so. In honesty, he did not want to answer the question, and Aoi would not question him on it again. But the more he thought about it, the more he wanted to see Zero's reaction when he revealed to those in Wonderland that he was his brother.

"Why, sweet Aoi, haven't you noticed it before? The resemblance between Zero and me?"

Aoi blinked, studying her master before turning her attention to a slightly red cheeked Zero. Whether it was from embarrassment or anger, she could not tell, but she could tell that they had the same hair, despite Ichiru's being longer. They had the same eyes, despite the darkness in Ichiru's. The same lithe frame, though Ichiru was slightly more built - probably from the mass amount of blood he consumed in a day.

The resemblance was uncanny, and Aoi felt incredibly idiotic for not noticing it before. "You're -"

"Brothers," Ichiru interrupted. "Twin brothers."

Sayuri's jaw dropped; thoughts to remain unfazed flying out of her mind. But how could that be, when Zero was a lowly vampire and Ichiru a pureblood? She gathered herself, chewing on her lip gently so as to not rip through it with her fangs. Zero would be under severe protection now...how the hell was she to go through with her plan?

Zero growled lightly, narrowing his eyes at the male before him. He refused to call the vampire in front of him his brother. He may have his body, but Zero could not bring himself to call him his brother. "No, we're not."

Ichiru chuckled, shaking his head. "Of course we are, sweet. You're just in shock."

"Don't call me that!" Zero growled, baring his fangs.

Ichiru smiled crookedly...sinisterly. How he could not wait to sink his fangs into the pulsing flesh that was standing in front of him...

"Aoi, love, take Zero back to his room. Make sure he is situated, and have a cook bring him some food. When you are done, come to my room."

Aoi bowed, "Yes master."

Sayuri trembled with anger. He was going to bed her - she knew it. But she didn't care that her master was going to use Aoi as he did her. No, she didn't care. She did care that they were going to his room. The very room that he had forbade Sayuri from entering long ago.

Zero moved closer to the auburn haired girl as Ichiru moved closer to the door. He refused to be anywhere near the pureblood, and would see that it remained that way. His glare heightened when Ichiru turned to him, winking at him.

"See you later, Zero-nii." The pureblood swiftly exited the room.

After a few moments of pregnant silence, Aoi tugged on Zero's sleeve lightly, looking up at the hunter in worry. She could feel his agitation, and she wanted to make sure he was alright.

The hunter shook his head, but Aoi held onto him pulling him out of the room, leaving Sayuri a fuming mess.

* * *

He stretched, cautiously balancing the mountain of books in his right hand. The books remained in a perfect tower, as he grabbed another off of the shelf and tossed it to the top of the tower.

"Hanabusa,"

The blond jumped, gasping as the tower shook. He steadied it with his free hand. Once it stood at its perfect, motionless state, Aidou spun around, growling at Cain. "You idiot!"

Cain chuckled, before eyeing the tower of books in question. "What are you doing?"

"That's none of your business," Aidou retorted. He returned to studying the books on the shelf, running over in his mind which ones would help him. He hoped Cain would leave, so that he could research in private as Kaname had asked him to do.

Aidou frowned as he grabbed another book. He had not seen nor spoken to Kaname since they had been caught at the Chairman's house, visiting Zero. It was almost like the pureblood was avoiding Aidou because of the moment he had slightly let his guard down, and therefore not been able to notice the Chairman until he was nearby.

The noble had not gotten into trouble. Kaname had explained to the Chairman that he wished to know about the effects of Level E attacks on a person, and Zero was the "experiment". After which, he commanded Aidou to return to his room until the following night.

But Kaname had not asked for him, and it made him wonder if the pureblood was only toying with him.

"Aidou, the books aren't going anywhere. Set the ones you have down and come back for more," Cain reprimanded, worriedly.

Aidou half smiled, "But if I did that, not only would it take a lot of work, it would take up more time."

Cain sighed, snatching the pile of books away from the blond effortlessly and taking them over to an empty table. "I don't know what Kaname-sama told you to do, but don't strain yourself over it."

Aidou frowned again, but nodded. He knew that. But it was the fact that he did not know exactly what was wrong with the hunter that he had to push himself. He had never heard of the hunter's condition, and for some reason that he could not explain, it _bothered_ him.

After all, he was Aidou Hanabusa – genius of the vampire realm.

His eyes roamed over the shelves books, searching for the rest of the books he needed. He stopped. A book caught his eye, and he raised an eyebrow in question. _Alice's Adventures in Wonderland_ was not a book he needed, nor cared for. He had never read it as a child, though he did know the story because Luca would often read it when she was younger. What gave her the urge to _talk_ about it to him, he never knew.

He shook his head, quickly finding the other books he needed and zipping off to the table Cain had set the rest of his books on. The older noble was nowhere to be found, but Aidou could feel that he was still in the library.

Aidou's step faltered. How did it…?

"Cain," Aidou called, picking up the _Alice's Adventures in Wonderland _book that he had ignored. Cain hummed, nearly appearing out of nowhere. Aidou held the book up. "Did you…Did you put this book here?"

Cain shook his head, and became lost in the shelves once more.

Aidou chewed on his lip, taking the book back to the shelf. As he had suspected, the space where the book had been was vacant. He set it back in its place, eyeing it for a few moments more before heading back to the table.

He gasped. The book was on the table again. "Cain! Would you stop doing that?"

"Stop doing what?" Cain called out.

"Stop putting this _Alice in Wonderland_ book on my table!" Aidou hissed, stomping over to the self and slamming the book in its place once more.

"I'm not doing anything! I'm over here – nowhere near you!"

Aidou froze. The male was right. He sighed, heading over to the table once more. Yet again, the book was on the table. _What the hell?_

How did it keep ending up on the table? Aidou sat down and stared at the book cautiously. He folded his arms across his chest. Whoever kept doing it was quicker than he was, and they knew how to make themselves unnoticeable. The question was why _Alice's Adventures in Wonderland_?

"Glaring at the book isn't going to do anything, Hanabusa," Cain teased as he took a seat across from his cousin. "And besides, aren't you supposed to be doing something for Kaname-sama?"

"No!" Aidou denied, almost too quickly. "I just found out about a rare disease among vampire and I wanted to learn more about it."

"Hn," Cain hummed, his interest venturing into one of the books he grabbed.

Aidou studied the book more, picking it up hesitatingly as his curiosity began to grab a hold of him. He opened it, skipping the title page and the introduction. His eyes scanned the page of the first chapter. Once. Twice.

And then he blinked. Once. Twice. Was he reading right, or was his mind playing tricks on him?

He quickly scanned the other pages, paying more attention to the occasional pictures. No, no, no. That was impossible. He ran through the first four chapters, but as he read the fifth, the pages were blank. He flipped through the rest of the book's pages, finding them to be blank.

It could not be. It was impossible. He flipped to the first chapter once more, stopping when he came across a picture of Alice. It was…it was…

"Kiryu…" He whispered, croaking.

Cain lifted his head when Aidou jumped up abruptly, causing the chair to fall to the floor. "Hanabusa?"

Aidou ignored him, snatching the book up from the table and dashing out of the room. He had to find Kaname.

From the looks of it, Aidou could tell that Zero was far from waking up all right.

* * *

Entering his room, Zero shuffled toward his bed. His eyes never left the floor as he sat down. To Aoi – had she not seen the interaction between him and his brother – he looked like a robot. A moment passed in silence. She worried about him.

"Zero-sama…are you –"

"I'm fine," he interjected. In reality, he did not want to talk about Ichiru with anyone. And he hoped no one asked, but from the sound of Aoi's voice, he could tell she would be asking questions sooner or later.

Aoi chewed on her lip, carefully as she fiddled with the doorknob. She had half a mind to march over to the bed, sit down beside Zero, and demand to know about his past. The Wonderlanders knew a lot about Zero, but there _were_ some things that they did not know. At least…_some_ of them did not know.

But the other half of her mind was being called by her Master. She also knew that, even though Zero has somewhat trusted her enough to befriend her in an odd way, he would refuse to open up to her.

Aoi steadily made her way over to the bed. She laced her fingers in Zero's hair, pulling him closer so that his forehead was at her stomach. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders. It was an awkward hug (because she was always told to never touch her superiors unless given permission), but it was the only way she knew how to get Zero to relax a bit. "It'll be okay," she reassured, smiling softly.

She petted his head gently, before making her way for the door. Before leaving she turned to the hunter, who was staring at her with warm, thankful eyes. Her grin widened slightly, "Please don't open the door unless it's the cook or I let you know that it's me. No one will enter the room without your permission, unless it's Master, of course."

She saw Zero's eyes harden a bit. "If you want I can stay with you tonight…or until you get used to it."

Zero contemplated over this for a while. He supposed it would not be so bad having Aoi around. It seemed like she was the only one bothering to help him cope with things, yet allowing him the space he needed. He liked her. She reminded him of Yuuki in a way, and he wondered if Yuuki did not exist in Wonderland already (as the White Rabbit) – if Wonderlanders were _other _people based on them, would Aoi be Yuuki's equivalent? Slowly, he nodded.

"I'll be back," Aoi chirped, slipping out of the door.

ooo

The girl came to a stop as she reached her Master's bedroom door. She knocked on the door lightly and briefly wondered if she should have stayed with Zero instead of going to her Master, but then she remembered that he had _ordered_ her to, rather than giving her an option. She heard a shuffle behind the door, and then his sultry voice called out, "Come in."

Aoi pushed the door open, peeking inside, to find that he sat on his bed, before she entered. She shut the door behind her and stood in front of it, awaiting his orders.

Ichiru smirked, taking a sip of his blood tablet tainted wine. While he found it amusing that Aoi never did anything without his permission, at times like these he found it annoying. Aoi was the complete opposite of Sayuri, and sometimes he supposed it attracted him – not in the way Sayuri attracted him, though. It was more like an attraction to know her better, to be her friend.

His eyes fleetingly ran over her body before taking one last sip of his wine. Nevertheless, an attraction that was not so innocent was partially evident. But he knew that it was because she was the splitting image of someone he had once known…once _cared_ for.

"Come here, Aoi," Ichiru pressed, patting the space next to him.

Aoi flushed as she shuffled toward the bed, taking a seat next to the pureblood. Her eyes were trained on the floor, refusing to look at Ichiru in fear of botching things up. There was a pregnant pause before Ichiru wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her into his lap.

The auburn haired vampire's flush darkened, her eyes widening for a fraction of a second. His breath tickled her neck and she involuntarily shuddered.

The pureblood's smirk widened. Aoi was much too vulnerable for her own good; just as _she_ was when they had met. "Aoi, do you know how happy you've made me? Bringing Zero here to me?"

Aoi could only shake her head. Her throat was much too dry, and she felt that if she spoke she would embarrass herself. Ichiru could not help but think about how cute she was; once again, just as _she_ was.

He reached over to his nightstand, simultaneously covering Aoi's eyes with his free hand. He felt the flutter of her eyelashes against his palm as she blinked in confusion. Successfully retrieving the item he was looking for, he ordered, "Close your eyes and keep them closed until I tell you to open them."

Aoi did as she was told, and Ichiru removed his hand. He steadied the item that was a gold necklace. From it hung two charms (one a rose and the other a crescent moon) and a locket (that he could never open). He thought of putting it back, and rewarding her with a kiss on the cheek sounded tempting – he truly wished to keep it to himself. But Aoi deserved it. He fastened the necklace around her neck, placing a kiss on her neck and sending a shudder down her spine. "As a gift for successfully bringing Zero to me," he reached for a mirror and held it in front of her. "You can open your eyes now."

She opened her eyes, slightly jumping at her sudden reflection in front of her. The sparkle of the light on the necklace caught her eye and she released a small gasp. It was – for lack of a better word (because it was so much more than the word choice she was about to use) – beautiful, though simple. She dusted her fingers over the locket before grasping it and trying to pry it open. But it did not budge and she frowned.

"It won't open, I've already tried more than once," Ichiru informed. "It belonged to your mother."

Aoi froze. Her mother? _My mother…?_

Ichiru spun her around, so that she was straddling him. She stared at him blankly for a moment, searching for any sign of falseness, but found none. "M-my mother…? You knew her?"

Ichiru nodded. He could see that Aoi was conflicted – he could _feel _it. He could see that she had so many questions to ask, but either she was afraid or she did not know which to ask first.

The auburn haired girl was at a loss. She had never known her mother, and to hear that her _master knew _her sent her over the edge. She was happy because she could ask him about her. She was sad because she had _not_ known her mother. But most of all she was confused. If he had known her mother, why did he not tell her about her before? She had been with the man for as long as she could remember. And if he knew her mother, then he must surely know who her father was.

"How?" She began, and then suddenly all her questions were pouring out of her. "When? What was she like? How did she look? Do you know who my father is? Are they still alive? Where are they? _Who _are they? Who do _I _look like? Who am I like? Why," Aoi paused, her voice cracking ever so slightly. She could feel the tears building in her eyes. "Wh-why did they –"

"Aoi," Ichiru warned in a slight teasing, yet soft manner, "One question at a time, please." He brushed his knuckles against the girl's partially flushed cheeks. He pressed his lips to her forehead. "It was a long time ago. We met at a ball. I never knew who your father was; he was never in your life. He's still alive, but your mother isn't. She was murdered by someone who wanted revenge."

Aoi chewed on her lip, "He…he was never…"

"He didn't want you," Ichiru stated bluntly.

"He didn't…" Aoi croaked. Her eyes watered quickly and her throat went dry. She slowly began hyperventilating. "H-he…h-he didn't…"

Ichiru knew he was heartless, but he was not _completely_ heartless… At least when it came to Aoi, because she _was_ her mother through and through. And he always had a soft spot for her mother.

When they first met, he had not paid her any mind, which crushed her beyond what he could believe. He was much too strung upon another to even notice her mother. After that, they had not seen each other for some years and when they had met again, she had become the very thing he wanted most. A powerful, headstrong woman. She was – in a sense – one of his toys, although _she _very much knew what she was doing when it came to him as well as what he was trying to do with her. He never really had a chance. She was already pregnant when he did have a chance, much to his dismay.

In the end, he never had a chance with her. She died, and only her baby was left. In some way, she _had_ managed to capture a small part of his heart, and that was why he took Aoi in.

"Calm yourself, Aoi," he murmured, patting her back. He had seen her mother sad on more than one occasion, and (while he hated to admit it) he _hated_ it and he hated having to go through it again with Aoi. "You're so much like your mother. It makes me wonder if she created you all by herself."

Aoi's lips curved into a small, sad smile. She had calmed down for the most part, but inside she was a mess.

"Now," Ichiru sighed, petting the girl's head. "Go get some rest. I'll need you to help me with Zero tomorrow. It seems he has grown rather attached to you."

From the slight deepening of his tone, Aoi tensed. "I'm sorry, Master! It was just…he's still –"

"It's all right," Ichiru interrupted. His eyes hardened a bit. "Just remember that he _is _mine."

Aoi nodded, scooting off of Ichiru's lap. Though it was a completely innocent action, Ichiru's breath caught. He refrained from pulling the girl back to him (struggling in the process). How naïve she was…

She bowed, "Thank you, Master." She rushed out of the room.

Ichiru chuckled darkly as he watched her flee out of the room. He should not _want _to bed her the way that he did – that make him the maddest man alive (though he had already filled that spot). He sighed, grabbing his wine cup and taking a sip.

He would have to visit Sayuri before he went to bed.

* * *

Never once did Kaname doubt the White Queen's habit of cheating. He would always deviate from what was originally planned. In this case, he was not supposed to have Zero until days later – when Kaname had everything planned and ready for attack.

But he never planned for Ichiru speed things up, because he just that devious. He always made sure Kaname was one or two steps behind him.

The only thing the Red Queen did _right_ was having Yuuki bring Zero to Wonderland. Everything else was up to Zero, and Zero had been doing things right, even though he did not know that he was supposed to do them. He had been avoiding anything to do with the Red and White Queen, when he found out about their war over him, in an effort to avoid actually _meeting_ them.

Yet, Ichiru, ever the impatient and always trying to defeat Kaname so that he had no choice but to give in to Ichiru, had _cheated_ like the scum he was.

The windows in Kaname's room rattled violently, but he paid no mind to them, "pulling" the door open with his power. He stalked out of the room, not bothering to calm himself. The castle halls trembled, the walls cracked ever so slightly.

He doubled his speed, nearly flying through the castle. His army was not ready, but he could not hold back any longer.

Ichiru, Ichiru, _Ichiru!_ He had deviated from the agreement – who knew what he was up to? In Wonderland, only the mind was secret and Ichiru was doing a hell of a job keeping his plans in his mind.

With a snarl, Kaname sped up, zooming past the many gardens his castle contained. He came to a stop as he reached the training area, emitting his dark and angry aura toward the training vampires in the field.

They immediately dropped their weapons and turned to face him, awaiting their orders. Aidou, Rima, and Luca stood in front of the recruits.

"We head out in an hour," Kaname ordered.

Aidou's jaw dropped, and his eyes sparked with a moment of panic, "But Kaname-sama, we're not –"

"I said," Kaname hissed, narrowing his eyes at the Hatter, who took a step back. "It takes one day to arrive to the White Queen's castle. I do _not_ intend to leave tomorrow, when we don't know what the White Queen had in mind for Zero. Therefore, we leave in _one_ hour. Do I make myself clear?"

"Y-yes, Kaname-sama," Aidou mumbled, bowing in apology.

"You may use half of that hour to train a little more, but make sure you are by the main gate by the end of that hour."

The vampire bowed in response, and turned to continue on with what little time they had left to train.

Kaname turned on his heel, stalking back to the castle to find Cain and Shiki. "Seiren," he called in a hushed voice. He knew she would hear, though. She always did.

Without fail, she was running beside him. If he had not been so angry, he would have smiled. But he _was _angry, and he was in a hurry. "Prepare my wardrobe for battle."

She gave him a nod and disappeared from his sight as he entered the castle once more. In one hour, he would head off to rescue his beloved from the madness that was the White Queen.

He just hoped they made it in time.

* * *

_**Cross Academy – Kaname's Room (Lounge area)**_

Kaname stared at Aidou, completely dumfounded. Which was a first for the pureblood, and he certainly did not find it amusing. Was he supposed to believe that Kiryu was in a coma because he was stuck in an alternate universe?

"Aidou, I don't think –"

"Don't think what?" Aidou interjected – a _very_ uncommon thing for the noble to do when it came to the pureblood. But he wanted the pureblood to understand that he was not making things up. Kiryu really _was_ stuck in an alternate universe, and he was in a _huge_ amount of trouble. He might not make it out alive…

"How am I supposed to believe this?" Kaname pressed. He was losing his patience…and temper. "It sounds like something Takuma would read in his manga."

Aidou growled (to himself more than Kaname). How could he make the pureblood see reason when he _refused_ to even open the book? The blond sighed, raking a hand through his hair as he held the book in the crook of his arm. "Look, I know it sounds….unworldly, but would you, _please_ take a look at the book? You asked me to help you, Kaname-sama, and I'm doing just that." He paused to look at Kaname straight in the eye. Never before had he been angry at the pureblood, but for the pureblood to doubt him so absolutely hurt him. "But if you can't accept my result, then I'm afraid I can't help you."

Kaname's jaw nearly slacked. Aidou had never raised his voice at Kaname, nor deny him in any way. He heaved a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose, slowly extending his other hand for the book. "All right," Kaname submitted. "I'll look at it."

Aidou dashed across the room from his spot in the middle of the floor. He handed the book to Kaname and waited anxiously as the pureblood began to skim through it.

Kaname's eyes widened for a fraction of a second before he collected himself. Kiryu was…Aidou was right. He set the book down, stopping at a page that only contained a picture and a caption. The picture was indeed Zero, though he was wearing a dress and his hair was longer (a sight that for a moment, made warmth shoot through Kaname's body – who knew the hunter could be so cute?). The caption underneath confirmed their suspicions as it read, _Alice of Wonderland– Can also be call Zero Kiryu, as he prefers._

The pureblood scanned the picture with his eyes over and over, pursing his lips. He turned the page and skimmed it, reading about the war between the queens of Wonderland between the hunter. For a brief moment, he wondered how the hunter was holding up in such a situation. In any other situation, he would have found it amusing that Zero was technically supposed to be a _girl_, but as he continued to skim through the rest of the pages, he knew that there was absolutely nothing amusing about it. He actually _cared_ that the hunter was in some kind of danger – mainly for the sake of Yuuki, but also because he was not as heartless as he came off toward Zero.

He stood abruptly, shutting the book and picking it up from his desk. He strode toward the door without another word to Aidou (he would give him his thanks and apologize later); whom he knew would not follow him.

He needed to alert Kaien on this, and hopefully, he would be able to wake Zero up from he could imagine was a nightmare.

* * *

Yuuki eyed her adoptive father, cautiously. She _wanted_ to believe that Zero was still away on a mission, but something inside of her screamed that the Chairman was lying. And from the way he would hesitate whenever she asked him a question, or panicked whenever she moved around, he was unconsciously confirming her suspicions.

She had arrived at the Chairman's house after class, opting to skip out on her duties for the night. She figured – _knew_ – that Zero was more important than protecting the Night Class (who was perfectly capable of handling themselves) at the moment, and she would find out what was up with her prefect partner whether Kaien wanted her to or not. She would refuse to go to class, refuse her duties as a prefect and stalk the Headmaster until she got some answers.

They were currently sitting in the living room – the Chairman in the chair across from the loveseat Yuuki sat on. Kaien was trying to avoid Yuuki's wide, questioning pools of warmth she called eyes. He was afraid she might give him the puppy dog look as she had done when she was younger whenever she wanted something. He stirred his tea, taking a sip and his honey orbs roamed about the room.

He could feel Yuuki's intense stare, and he was not sure that he would be able to bear it much longer. He knew that Zero was just as important to her as Kaname was, and he truly felt bad for keeping his location (in the room located just about the living room) a secret from her, but he _had _to. She would be a mess if she found out.

"Father…" Yuuki sighed, hoping to coax something out of him. "Please tell me about Zero. Is he okay? How much longer will he be away?"

Kaien nearly dropped his cup of tea. Yuuki had sounded broken before, but it never pained him like this. It sounded like although she had believed the lie, and that it comforted her to a certain extent, some part of her was still lost. And it was his fault.

"Yuuki," Kaien started. He groaned inwardly at the girl's cuteness when Yuuki immediately perked up, waiting for the update on Zero. "Zero –"

"Chairman," a velvety voice called from the doorway.

Kaien and Yuuki jumped – Kaien more so than Yuuki because he had almost told Yuuki the truth and he _knew _it would result in a reprimanding from Kaname. They both turned to the pureblood in the doorway (Kaien slower than Yuuki), whom held a book in his arms.

"Senpai!" Yuuki squeaked; flushing as the pureblood smiled at her.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," Kaname remarked, his gaze landing on Kaien, who sheepishly sipped at his tea.

"Actually," Yuuki murmured shyly. "I was asking the Chairman about Zero."

Kaname's eyebrow rose in question. He had heard Kaien mention something about Zero, but he did not think that Kaien was actually planning on _telling _her about him. His gaze remained on Kaien, who shifted in his seat, chuckling nervously.

"Well," Kaien coughed pulling at his suddenly-too-tight turtle neck. Was it hot in the room, or was it just him? "To what do we owe the pleasure of your presence, Kaname-kun?"

Kaname remained silent for a few moments, highly amused as he basked in the Chairman's fidgeting self. He supposed it would have been fun to punish the male longer, but he really needed to inform Kaien about Zero. "I need to speak with you about…personal matters." He chose his words carefully, overly aware of the confused girl in the room, whose gaze flickered between him and the Chairman.

Kaien nodded and stood up from his chair, setting the cup down on the coffee table. He gave Yuuki an apologetic look before leading Kaname into his office upstairs. He really wished he could tell her…

Upon entering the room, Kaien shuffled over to his desk, taking a seat on his swivel chair and waited for Kaname to sit down on one of the seats in front of the desk. He watched as the pureblood shut the door, leaving it open just a crack. He knew Yuuki was not the type to eavesdrop, so that was all right with him.

"You were going to tell her," Kaname accused as he slid into one of the seats. He set the book down at the edge of the desk, his wine colored orbs boring into Kaien's honey hues as they had done before. He folded his arms across his chest, crossing his legs.

Kaien sighed, "I don't think we can keep it a secret from her anymore. I don't think we _should_." Kaien paused, eyeing the pureblood. "She keeps asking about him."

"That doesn't matter. She's better off not knowing about him."

"But _why_?" Kaien questioned. "She has every right to know – he's her best friend. If anything, she has more of a right than you do."

"_Because_," Kaname hissed. "Do you _know_ how Yuuki will take it? Finding out that her _best friend_ is in a coma and has been hidden in this house from day one? She loves him, and if she finds out, she'll be crushed. You _know_ this. It's why you came up with the lie in the first place."

The door flew open, revealing a very distraught Yuuki. Kaname clenched his teeth and Kaien groaned an 'oh no'.

"Zero's in a coma?" Yuuki's voice croaked. When no answer came from either of the men, she raised her voice. "Answer me!"

Kaien was by her side in seconds, pulling her into a hug. "I'm sorry, Yuuki, I'm sorry."

The brunette beat her fists against her adoptive father's chest, sobbing uncontrollably. She shoved him away from her, though he did not release her. "You knew and you lied? Why?" She continued punching at the older man's chest in an effort to get him to release her, which he easily complied. "Why did you lie?"

"To keep you from worrying, Yuuki," Kaname replied for the Chairman, who looked like he was about to explode with guilt.

Yuuki turned to face Kaname, and his heart broke the instant their eyes met. Her tear streaked eyes were absolutely lost, hurt, and the evidence of the males' betrayal was left in her wide, innocent, and honest eyes. "You knew, too? And you didn't bother to tell me?"

Kaien reached out to embrace her once more, "Yuuki, we didn't –"

Yuuki shrank away from his touch, staring at his arm like if it was a foreign animal. When she looked up, her eyes were filled with rage – something neither male had seen in Yuuki before this moment. "Where is he?" She demanded.

"In his old room," Kaien answered willingly, reaching out to hug her again.

Again, Yuuki shrank away from it. "Don't touch me!" Her gaze flickered from Kaien to Kaname, Kaname to Kaien. "I don't _ever_ want to speak to either of you again! I hate you!" She spun on her heels and dashed for Zero's room.

Tension filled silence loomed in the atmosphere, the only interruption being the slam of Zero's room door.

ooo

Kaien was at a loss of words. Yuuki…Hearing the words 'I hate you' come from her was wrong, a sin. She had not been created to utter those words, and yet they had slipped from her lips so easily. And it was his fault. His precious Yuuki hated him because he lied to her.

The Chairman trudged over to his chair, slumping in it without even glancing at the pureblood, who was staring at the door.

Kaname was sure his world had shattered. Yuuki had said she hated him. She _hated_ him. And it was all because of that _damned_ hunter. Because he had decided to play along with the Chairman's lie to protect Yuuki. Yuuki, _his _Yuuki _hated_ him. How was he to live?

His hands balled into fists, and though he heard the windows crack his eyes remained on the door. Yuuki _hated _him because of that. Damned. Hunter! A growl settled into his chest. To hell with trying to get Zero to wake up. He could die for all Kaname cared.

"Kaname-kun!" Kaien shouted, desperately trying to get Kaname's attention before he turned his house into rubble.

The pureblood spun around with inhuman speed, ending up mere inches away from the Chairman's face. "_What?_" He seethed through bared fangs.

"Calm down," Kaien ordered calmly. "Don't make me have to use one of my charms on you." He paused. "I know what Yuuki said must've hurt you, but she doesn't mean it. She'll apologize." He paused again, eyeing Kaname cautiously. "This isn't like you, Kaname-kun – to lose control like that. Are you all right?"

Kaname quickly regained his composure, though his eyes were still tinted with red. "I apologize. She's just important to me."

Kaien smiled, comfortingly, "I know."

There was an awkward, but almost comforting pause between them before Kaien cleared his throat. His eyes had landed on the book that Kaname had taken with him and that lay forgotten on the desk. "You said you had some affairs to speak to me about."

Kaname hummed in response, pushing the book toward the retired hunter. "It concerns…_Kiryu_," Kaname spat, lacing as much venom as he could in the name. "I've found why he hasn't woken up."

* * *

Aoi laid upon Zero's king sized bed, chewing on her lip. She had never been in the same bed with a boy before. Albeit, being _Zero_ she knew he would not try anything. But it still made her slightly uncomfortable – which is why she chose to sleep in her clothes…and because she did not want to go all the way to her room to fetch her pajamas. Zero, on the other hand, had no choice _but _to sleep in his clothes. Her master had stocked the room up with nothing but utterly revealing lingerie.

When she had offered to stay in his room, she meant that she would be sleeping on the couch in it or on the floor. She was fine with it, but being the gentleman he was, Zero refused to allow it. He brought up something among the lines of 'the bed is big enough for the both of us' (which it was), and when she still refused, he had practically _ordered_ her to do it. So she had no choice, really.

Though the bed _was_ more comfortable than the chair…and she was sure it was more comfortable than the floor.

But her comfort was not the only thing on her mind. No. Her mind was swarming around her mother. She had finally learned something – a _few_ things about her past. She wished she could have met her…or remember her. She wished she could be with her…

Slowly, her mind trailed to her father. Her Master had said that he did not want her. She wondered why. What had she done to make him not want her? It hurt her beyond belief. She had always pictured a happy family, who had died and left her to a close friend (her Master) or her Master being the one who changed her, and she could not remember a thing about it.

She sighed, fingering the locket. Why did it not open?

"Oi," Zero murmured. "What you sighing about over there?" He had been watching the vampire as she was lost in thought, and he wondered what was on her mind. She had been touching that necklace for a while now…

Aoi turned onto her side, smiling. "I'm contemplating the meaning of life."

Zero blinked. The meaning of life? He arched an eyebrow in question. "Aren't you a little bit too young to be "contemplating the meaning of life"?"

The auburn haired girl's smile faltered. "I suppose…" She knew where the conversation was heading, and to honest with herself, she did not want to talk about it. Though Zero would make the perfect candidate, because he did not know her and she was gaining an outsider point of view, she wanted to sort things out herself. "Hey, Zero-sama. On a scale from one to ten, how much would you like your weapon back?"

Zero smirked, chuckling lightly. "One hundred. Why?"

Aoi slipped off of the bed, practically hopping toward the dresser. She got on all fours, reaching under clothes holder and patting the bottom drawer until she found what she was looking for. She pulled the Bloody Rose from underneath it, and made her way over to the bed.

She tossed the weapon over to the hunter, who caught it with precision.

"How did you –"

"While you were in the shower," Aoi replied with a smile that faded as quickly as it came. "Listen, I'm not supposed to give it to you, but I don't trust Sayuri and I can't always be there to defend you, so I figured I'd give it back." She paused. "Just, _please_, don't let Master see it. He'll kill me…"

Zero stared at the girl blankly for a moment, blinking and then pulling her in for a hug. She really reminded him of Yuuki. "I promise."

And Zero never broke his promises.

* * *

Kaname waited at the gates, with Seiren, Cain, and Shiki flanked at his sides. Half of the army had arrived with Rima and Luca. He was still waiting for Aidou's portion. The blond had three minutes before hell broke loose.

Soon enough, the Hatter appeared at the gate with the rest of the army. What had taken so long, Kaname did not know, nor did he care to. He was angry enough as it was, and he did not need to worry about Aidou's troublesome self when he had _Zero's safety_ to worry about.

The pureblood looked over his subjects, making sure that all was is its place and that no one was missing or where they should not be (namely, Yuuki, though he made sure Seiren had take her to Kaien's house).

Kaname nodded, turning on his heels swiftly and began making his way toward the gorge. The others followed suit, without question and without hesitation.

He would make sure he never had to deal with the White Queen again.

* * *

Has anyone caught the biggest mistake I've made in this story? :O Cause I did. xD Oh, and yes. I did add a sub-plot to this story. Because it's important for the upcoming chapters. ;D

I apologize for it if you catch it, and I apologize for any other mistakes made.

I would _love _to reply to reviews, but it's 5AM and I feel like shit, so I'll get to them next time.

Also, if I made it unclear. Aoi's mother and Ichiru were lovers for a _very_ short period of time. When they met for the second time, she was married, which was the time in which Ichiru actually wanted her because she had matured. So...yes...she committed adultery. xD But it wasn't often 'cause she was a smart woman who knew how to play Ichiru's game, which made him fall for her somewhat. Then she went and got pregnant from her husband and he was crushed. Poor Ichiru. ;-; (though he had _tons_ of other chicks lined up...) xD

Hmm...if anything else is unclear, feel free to ask me to clarify it. :)


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